


Ashes

by swanjonhesonice



Series: FOUR-LEAF CLOVER [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enjoy folks, F/F, FOUR-LEAF CLOVER SEQUEL WHEW, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Happy Ending, Like really minor, M/M, Minor Jane/Li Lonnie, Minor Jay/Carlos de Vil, benry is a thing y'all, i have so many things planned y'all, i think that's enough with the tags, i will add more characters in the tags as the story moves forward so i won't spoil anything, i'm so sorry to all the huma fans, ish?, it has flashbacks from the year that passed, it will have fluff as well don't you worry, jaylos still together and going strong, malvie are fools, minor ben/harry hook, ok now i'm done, still keeping the magic like in fou-leaf clover, uma is not bad in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-05-29 03:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15064592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanjonhesonice/pseuds/swanjonhesonice
Summary: • Can beauty come out of ashes? •(A MALVIE / MEVIE MULTI-CHAPTER)(FOUR-LEAF CLOVER SEQUEL)





	1. Too Much to Ask

_\--_

_Mal could stay like this forever. Staring at Evie. Because damn, Evie was beautiful._

_How lucky was Mal to have such a beautiful human as her girlfriend? Mal wouldn’t know. But Mal knew she was at her happiest. Nothing could ever top this._

_“Babe, you’re staring again.” Evie giggled, her cheeks slightly flushed._

_Mal blinked. Evie was just sitting, doing her homework. Mal was supposed to be doing hers, but once again she was lost in Evie._

_“I’m sorry E, I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.” Mal answered, walking across the room to hug Evie from behind and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Evie’s face went red._

_“I was just doing my homework, M.”_

_“And you look beautiful doing it.” Mal pointed out, still gently hugging Evie._

_Evie shifted in her chair, so she could place her hands on Mal’s waist. Because to Evie, Mal was the beautiful one._

_Because Evie could also stay like that forever, just looking at Mal and admire her beauty._

_“I love you M.”_

_Mal leaned in and kissed Evie’s lips gently but also like it was the last time._

_“I love **you** E.”_

_\--_

“Mal. Mal wake up.”

 

Mal groaned, upset that she had been pulled off her dream by hearing her name being called repeatedly.

 

“What have I told you about not waking me up on a Saturday morning Jane?” Mal croaked, rubbing her eyes.

 

Jane was Mal’s roommate and was majoring in Human Resources. They were 6 months in their freshmen year at college. Mal was an Arts major.

 

“You’re the one who told me to wake you up.” Jane simply replied with a smirk.

 

Mal huffed and slowly sat up on the bed.

 

“Why would I ever do that?”

 

“Because today is Jay’s welcome back party, remember?”

 

Oh, Mal remembered alright.

 

Jay was able to make his way into the national team and they were out of the country for 3 months in a sweet internship that will look great on Jay’s CV. He landed back yesterday and Carlos was organizing a surprise for his boyfriend. He was even able to get a hold of Harry and Gil and have them present. Jay loved a good frat party, but it wasn’t Carlos’ thing at all so he arranged something more personal.

 

Mal was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door.

 

She got up to open it, finding a smiling Carlos on the other side.

 

“I was sure you were still asleep.” He joked while Mal stepped back so he could come in. “Hi Jane.” He greeted the blue eyed girl.

 

“Hey Carlos! Well, I’m leaving Mal, text me if you need anything. And don’t forget we need to meet with my mom tomorrow.” Jane replied.

 

“Will do.” Mal waved her goodbye and Jane passed through Carlos and left.

 

Mal sat back on the bed and Carlos sat next to her.

 

“So, I can count on you for later?” Carlos asked, afraid the topic wasn’t welcome. Mal wanted nothing more than tell Carlos she wanted to stay right there under her blankets all day sulking and pretending the outside world didn’t exist.

 

“Of course. I miss Jay too C, and he deserves to have me there.” Mal answered instead. Carlos looked somewhat relived.

 

“Mal, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but maybe we should, just once.” Carlos started.

 

“Carlos.” Mal warned.

 

“Look Mal, I’m not just your friend. I’m your little brother, remember? We’ve been through too much together for you to keep pushing me away. I promised I’d always take care of you. I want to do just that. So, please. It’s been 6 months.” Carlos begged, trying his best not to blow the whole conversation, or the chances of Mal showing up to his and Jay’s apartment.

 

Mal sighted.

 

“It’s been 6 months? Feels like years to me.” Mal sadly commented, shifting her eyes to her lap.

 

“She’s not doing so great either Mal.” Carlos quietly said.

 

“She’s better off without me.” Mal mumbled.

 

Carlos strongly disagreed, knowing fully well that Evie had never been this unhappy. But Mal was a stubborn one and would not be swayed. Well, at least not today, on this very moment.

 

1 year and 6 months have passed. The beach house week and the last year of high school were long gone. 6 months have passed since Mal and her friends went to college and 6 months have passed since Mal and Evie broke things off. It’s also been 6 months since Mal last saw Evie and vice versa.

 

“Just...If it gets too hard, please let me help, ok?” Carlos pleaded.

 

Mal looked at him, trying her best not to cry. Her current main goal was to last a full day without crying her eyes out. Which applied both to her massive heartache and college as a whole.

 

“C, your boyfriend just got back. The last thing I want if for you to spend your whole night worrying about me. I bet you missed him like crazy.” Mal said, worried for the younger boy.

 

“Very much so. But he’s not just my boyfriend Mal, he’s also part of our little family and I know him well enough to know that he’ll be more worried about the both of you than over some party. Look, maybe this was a bad idea, I should just call things off.” Carlos answered, regretful. He got up but Mal grabbed his hand, stopping him.

 

“No! Don’t do that. Harry and Gil are already in town. And I will not be the reason Jay doesn’t see his friends. I’ll pull through.” Mal said, reassuring the freckled boy.

 

Carlos kissed Mal’s forehead, tenderly. Oh, how he wished he could help both Mal and Evie somehow.

 

“Do you want me to pick you up?” He offered, grabbing his keys.

 

“No, it’s ok. You take care of everything back at your apartment. I’ll text Harry and Gil, so I don’t show up alone.” Mal declined, knowing Carlos had a lot on his plate.

 

Carlos smiled.

 

“Ok. I’ll see you later then.”

 

“You will.” Mal reassured him once more and Carlos left, closing the door behind him carefully.

 

Mal checked the time on her phone. 11:48am. And she almost threw her phone at the wall because her lock screen was a picture of her and Evie.

 

Oh Evie.

 

Mal felt her eyes glowing bright green and her heart racing.

 

“Calm down Mal. Calm down.” Mal angrily said to herself, closing her eyes aggressively. The glow of her eyes slowly became the normal shade of green she was born with. Her heart, steadier.

 

Mal shook her head and dialed Harry’s number. Harry quickly picked up.

 

“Hiya! How are ye lass?” Harry’s voice chirping through the phone made Mal relax just a bit.

 

Over the last year, Harry and Mal were able to put everything behind them and actually became close friends.

 

Harry was actually the one Mal ended up coming to most of the times since her break up with Evie. Not that Jay or Carlos couldn’t help, but Harry knew what a breakup was first hand. And Harry still wanted to make it up to Mal, badly. So, for once Mal was happy the party was a go. She missed Harry very much.

 

“Hi H. I was wondering if you could pick me up to the party. I really don’t want to arrive alone. Also, I miss you.” Mal answered, a smile forming on her lips. Harry could hear her tiny smile but also heard the panic note in her voice.

 

“Aye, of course. Call me when yer ready. I miss ye too.” Harry happily replied.

 

Happy. That was the word to describe Harry, since he started dating Ben, a tall boy he met in college that honestly looked like a prince. And it was nothing like his relationship with Uma. Ben was sweet, caring and most of all, was fully invested on the relationship.

 

Harry was experiencing a healthy relationship for the first time and Mal couldn’t be nothing but happy for him. He changed a whole lot and he deserved someone who liked him for him and not because of his looks or other shallow reasons.

 

“Will do. Tell Gil I said hi. Later.” Mal said and hung up.

 

Then she looked over the room. What the hell was she going to wear?

 

It’s not like Mal ever cared for fancy clothing or makeup of any sorts but she surely didn’t want to show up looking like her insides: a complete disaster.

 

Then she stopped to look at herself in the mirror and realized: What else could she do?

 

Mal looked like a zombie because she barely slept these days. Her eyes were constantly deprived of life because was either crying over college assignments, crying over Evie or both.

 

Plus, Mal didn’t have a single friend at college which was where she spent most of her time. She never knew Art students could get so competitive and that they could be so stuck up or self-centered because each and every one of them thought their artistic vein and their vision of what art should be was better than everyone else’s opinion and they would often engage in some rather aggressive interactions.

 

So, Mal would stay in her lane, completely off and away from them, focusing solely on getting things done and eventually graduating. It was better like this, but Mal couldn’t deny how lonely she felt.

 

Jay, Carlos and Jane were all near but well, Jay was out of the picture for a while and Jane and Carlos had their own thing going on as well, which left all of them little to no time to enjoy each other’s company. Harry and Gil were the furthest away.

 

And Evie? Evie was the closest to Mal. The Design and Fashion department was glued to the Art department. But Mal and Evie were avoiding each other which actually meant that Mal was avoiding Evie at all costs.

 

The hours dragged and even though the party wasn’t until 8pm, at 4pm Mal was already going insane, alone in the apartment she shared with Jane. So, Mal grabbed a pair of purple jeans, her combat boots, a long sleeved purple shirt and her classic leather jacket.

 

She tried her best to tame her wild purple locks and make them look presentable enough.

 

She dialed Harry number again, and 15 minutes later there was a knock on the door.

 

Mal opened it, finding Harry and Gil on the other side both grinning widely at her. Mal threw herself into Harry’s arms.

 

“I missed you so much!” Mal almost yelled, genuinely happy like she hadn’t been in so long.

 

Harry bright blue eyes shined while he giggled. Then Mal proceeded to hug Gil as well.

 

“I missed you too Gil! How are you?”

 

Gil chuckled.

 

“I’m good.”

 

“So, where are ye going?” Harry asked.

 

“I don’t know. I just didn’t want to be alone.” Mal confessed.

 

Harry and Gil heard Mal’s sad tone.

 

“How about strawberry pancakes? On me.” Gil suggested with a smile, knowing that his suggestion would cheer up the small girl.

 

Mal’s eyes flickered giddily.

 

“Yes, please.” She said.

 

“After ye then, milady.” Harry chuckled, making room for Mal to walk out the door.

 

“Sure thing milord.” Mal laughed.

 

The three friends were able to kill time very efficiently because there was so much to tell and so much to catch up. Gil decided to stay as a firefighter until he had enough money to go through college and Harry decided against the Navy, majoring in nautical science instead.

 

So, they kept it simple. They sat at a street café, ordered as many pancakes as they could eat and they talked.

 

And Mal felt so incredibly relaxed. She missed the simplicity of sitting with friends, just chatting without a care in the world.

 

Not that Jane wasn’t her friend. She was and they were close. Just not as close as Mal was with Harry, Gil, Jay or Carlos. Even Evie.

 

Evie slipped into Mal’s mind right when Harry checked the time.

 

“It’s almost time. We should go.”

 

Mal sighted and they all got up.

 

“Are ye ok?” Harry asked out of concern.

 

Harry knew it was a dumb question. And Mal knew better than to lie to him.

 

“No.”

 

Harry and Gil shared a look. Gil went inside to pay their bill and Harry proceeded to give Mal a tight hug. Mal hugged him back just a tightly and realized just how desperately she was craving for a hug just like that.

 

“Yer going to be fine, I promise. I’ll be there with ye and the minute ye want to leave, I’ll drive ye home myself. Is that ok?” Harry softly said.

 

Mal nodded into Harry’s chest.

 

“Thank you for being such a good friend to me.” Mal said after they pulled away.

 

Harry smiled, a little embarrassed over Mal’s compliment.

 

10 minutes later the trio arrived at Carlos and Jay’s apartment. Jay was the one to open the door and Mal quite literally jumped into his arms, yelling his name. Jay lifted and swirled her around, both laughing like two kids.

 

When Jay put Mal down he realized she was in tears.

 

“Aw, don’t cry.” Jay cupped her cheeks,

 

“I just really missed you.” Mal said with a chuckle, trying to wipe away her tears.

 

“I missed you too.” Jay admitted, with a huge smile on his face, happy to be home.

 

Mal then left room for Jay to greet Harry and Gil and helped Carlos out with the food. The other three boys soon joined them.

 

After everyone sat down in the living room, food on their plates, the bell rang.

 

Mal almost jumped from her seat. Being fashionably late was a very Evie thing to do.

 

“Oh god.” She whispered already in panic.

 

“Hey, it’s ok. I got ye.” Harry whispered in Mal’s ear, grabbing her hand while Jay went to open the door.

 

Mal could already hear Evie’s voice, clearly excited to see Jay. Even her voice made her feel things.

 

And then everything happened in slow motion.

 

Jay came back, shared a look that everyone understood. Evie followed right behind him.

 

Mal froze on the spot. If Evie was beautiful when she was 17, she certainly was unfairly gorgeous at 18, now that her complexion was more mature. Mal completely lost herself. Evie’s hair seemed even bluer, her skin even tanner and her eyes seemed to have a spark of golden mixed with the chocolate brown.

 

And Evie seemed to be lost in Mal as well. Evie knew Mal didn’t have a care for skin care routines, fancy clothes or hairdressers but still, Mal somehow looked even more attractive. Her dark purple hair was slightly longer, her eyes looked so incredibly green even though she clearly looked exhausted and honestly no one could rock leather and combat boots quite like her.

 

It seemed an eternity, but in fact it lasted a few seconds. Evie quickly glanced at Mal’s hand, grabbing Harry’s and proceeded to greet everyone.

 

When she got to Mal, she was very unsure of how to proceed. What she really wanted to do was to kiss Mal’s lips, but she couldn’t.

 

“Hi Mal.” She quietly greeted.

 

Mal blinked. Then got up and kissed Evie’s cheek, much to everyone’s surprise, including herself. Evie immediately blushed, also surprised but didn’t say anything.

 

“Hi Evie.” Mal couldn’t speak louder than a whisper. Then she sat back.

 

The atmosphere was a little weird but everyone kind of managed, for Jay and after a bit, everyone was chatting excitedly. Mal and Evie avoided any kind of exchange.

 

Evie was asking Jay if he’d be ok with being a model for Evie, she needed to expand her horizons so she wanted to try to design some sporty clothes when she heard something she hadn’t heard in a while that made her freeze mid-sentence.

 

Her new focus was, obviously, Mal. Evie watched from the corner of her eye how Harry was saying something and that made Mal tilt her head back and burst into laughter.

 

Evie’s gut made a weird loop.

 

“E?”

 

Evie looked back at Jay who was looking at her concerned.

 

“You were saying?”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Evie blinked and focused on Jay again. “Will you help me?”

 

Jay smiled.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Thank you, I’ll text you the details later then.” Evie said but her focus went back to Mal right after.

 

Mal had her head on Harry’s shoulder and an arm around Gil. Carlos joined them and soon, all four were laughing over Harry, who was making weird impressions.

 

Evie swore she wasn’t jealous. But Mal seemed fine. Mal seemed happy. Mal seemed happy without Evie. And Evie couldn’t take it.

 

“I can’t be here anymore. I’m so sorry Jay.” Evie whispered to his friend.

 

“Hey, are you ok? Evie!” Jay called, but Evie was already up and out the door.

 

The room fell into silence. The laughter died.

 

Mal immediately got up without another word and rushed through the door and down the stairs. She didn’t have to make a run for it because Evie was right there, leaning against the brick wall, eyes closed and unsteady breathing.

 

Mal knew exactly what that meant. Evie was about to cry and was trying to calm down.

 

“Evie?” she whispered.

 

Evie opened her eyes and stared at Mal. It was just the two of them now.

 

“I- Why did you leave?” Mal didn’t know if that was exactly what she wanted to say but it was already done.

 

“I can’t take it Mal. I can’t take it, seeing you doing just fine, happy and laughing with Harry.” Evie tone grew bitter and broken word after word.

 

“What? With Harry?” Mal seemed confused.

 

“I saw you holding hands.” Evie’s tone revealed her jealousy.

 

Mal wanted to punch the wall because the blue haired princess was getting it all wrong. ‘Calm down Mal, you can’t lose control now’.

 

“Evie, there’s nothing going on between me and Harry. Just friends.” Mal firmly stated.

 

“Oh.” Was all Evie could reply back.

 

“You really think I’m happy? Harry spent the entire night making me laugh at his stupid jokes to keep me from drowning in my own fucking tears. Because I asked him to. Because he’s my friend.” Mal explained, her voice shakier. “Because I am fucking miserable Evie.” Mal added, trying to keep her tears at bay.

 

“ **You** broke up with **me** remember?” Evie pointed out. She tried to sound angry but her heartbreak was all over the place.

 

A couple of tears fell from Mal’s eyes.

 

Evie carefully stepped closer.

 

“Mal, we’re clearly both miserable. We love each other. Why can’t we be together?”

 

Mal shook her head.

 

“We just can’t. Not after what happened.” Mal defensively said, taking a step back.

 

Evie let out a sob.

 

“You are impossibly stubborn! We **can** be together! We **can** overcome anything! You just don’t want it enough!” Evie raised her voice, tears falling down freely down her face.

 

Mal felt dizzy, sick to her stomach.

 

“Don’t say that!”

 

“You broke my heart Mal.” Evie’s voice came out raspy and quiet, full of hurt and pain.

 

‘You broke my heart.’ Evie’s words echoed inside Mal’s head. Evie grabbed her purse and rushed away, deep into the night. She got into her car and left just in time because Mal felt so sick she only had time to lean into the wall and throw up the little she ate at dinner.

 

The only thing Mal ever wanted to do was to protect Evie from hurting and even when trying to do just that, she managed to fail miserably. Mal felt beyond horrible.

 

“I broke her heart.” Mal whispered, trying to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, being rather unsuccessful since her hands were shaking so bad.

 

Mal picked up her phone and called Carlos.

 

“Carlos? Please come down here. I need you to take me home.” Was all she said, hanging up, not allowing the boy to ask her any questions.

 

Carlos showed up a minute later and figured something had happened. Evie was nowhere to be seen and Mal was beyond distraught. Carlos knew better than to ask questions so in silence he guided her to his car and drove her back to her apartment. Despite Mal’s protests, Carlos stayed for the night, making sure Mal would get some sleep. He wondered how Evie was doing. Jay probably went straight to Evie’s apartment to check on her, just like Carlos asked him to.

 

Both girls really thought they could move on from each other.

 

The hard truth?

 

Mal was not over Evie. Not one bit.

 

Evie was not over Mal. Not even close.

 

Their shadows tried to dance without each other, but they failed.

 

All they ever wanted was to be with each other without anything stopping them.

 

Was that **too much to ask**?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiyaaaaaaaaa! 
> 
> Remember me telling you it wouldn't be the last you saw of Mal and Evie? Well here I am with a sequel for my multi-chapter fic (Four-Leaf Clover) and oh boy I have SO many ideas right now!
> 
> I'll be honest, at first I wasn't keen on a sequel, as I thought the story wrapped up pretty well (and it did in my opinion) but then my brain started working and I had a bunch of ideas and instead of writing one-shots with all the separate ideas I had, I decided to incorporate them into a sequel. And here's the first chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> Well this is long enough already so I hope you like it!
> 
> See you next chapter :) x
> 
>  
> 
> Twitter: @swanjonhesonice  
> Tumblr: @imharryaf


	2. Moments, Tattoos on my Mind

Evie woke up with a massive headache. She figured that’s what you get for crying yourself to sleep every night for a week. She sat on the bed.

 

“Morning sunshine.” Evie was greeted by her enthusiastic roommate, Li Lonnie.

 

“Hey Lonnie.” Evie smiled at the girl.

 

Lonnie came over and sat next to Evie, handing her a tiny box.

 

“It’s not much but happy birthday.” Lonnie said.

 

Evie almost gasped. If not for Lonnie being the good friend she is, Evie wouldn’t even remember her own birthday.

 

What a contrast from last year’s birthday, Evie thought.

 

\--

 

_Evie woke up with a soft hand running through her hair that morning. Mal sat on the bed, staring lovingly at Evie, her eyes greener than usual, from the morning light perhaps._

_“Morning beautiful.” Mal greeted with a huge smile on her face._

_Evie straight up, sat on the bed and kissed Mal’s soft lips, one hand on the back of Mal’s neck. Mal felt Evie smiling and hummed happily._

_“Morning.” Evie answered, her voice still a bit husky._

_Mal hugged Evie, in a soft but tight embrace and whispered in her ear._

_“Happy birthday to the most beautiful girl in the world. I love you.”_

_Evie giggled, her cheeks burning. Evie simply adored how incredibly loving Mal could be. If anyone asked Mal, she would never admit it, but the truth is that Mal is a big softie, especially when it comes to Evie._

_And Evie felt so very special, knowing that she was the only one Mal would show this wonderful side of herself to._

_“Thank you, M but the most beautiful girl in the world is you. I love you.” Evie replied with a huge smile._

_Mal hummed and hid her face on the crook of Evie’s neck, blushing violently. If there was one thing Mal wasn’t used to, was to have someone tell her such nice things and actually mean them._

_“I have something for you!” Mal announced, hopping out of bed._

_Evie wondered what it could be. Her mother was never one to give meaningful gifts, or to give actual emotional relevance to her only daughter’s birthday. Even the birthday parties were just so she could walk around and flaunt about how great of a mother she was. And we all know how the birthday party thing turned out. Miss Grimhilde’s gifts were mostly make up kits or other vanity related items, because that was all her mother ever cared about. Evie started loving her birthdays more when she met Jay and Carlos, who made sure she always had a good time._

_As Evie’s excitement grew, Mal fetched an envelope from her bag and sat back next to Evie._

_“Jay, Carlos and I got together and bought you something, but we want to be together when you open it. This one is just from me though. It’s really nothing special, just an idea I had but—”_

_“Mal,” Evie gave her girlfriend a stern look. “It is special, because it came from you. Whatever it is, I’m going to love it.” Evie reassured Mal with a sweet smile._

_“Ok then, here.” Mal said and nervously handed the envelope to Evie._

_Evie opened it carefully to find a little notebook. The cover was entirely drawn by Mal from scratch and it read:_

_‘Coupons to use when necessary._

_Every coupon can only be used once.’_

_Mal watched carefully and expectantly while Evie opened the notebook._

_Evie found that each and every little page had something written on it. All handwritten by Mal and every page had a random doodle in it. Evie read the pages:_

_‘Worth a tight hug.’_

_‘Worth a kiss.’_

_‘Worth a shoulder to cry on.’_

_‘Worth a silly selfie.’_

_‘Worth a trip to the beach.’_

_The list went on and on and Evie found herself speechless and emotional. Mal wasn’t giving her just anything. Mal was giving her more love than Evie could ever ask for. Mal’s heart was too big for her tiny body and it was a shame the world didn’t get to see it._

_“Mal this is...” Evie started._

_“I know, I didn’t spend any money on it, maybe I could’ve—”_

_“Perfect.” Evie finished her sentence cutting off whatever nonsense Mal was about to say._

_Mal’s eyes widened._

_“Perfect?”_

_Evie blinked, trying not to joyfully cry before she could answer Mal._

_“Yes M, perfect. This is better than any birthday gift you could’ve ever given me. I feel so loved.” Evie confessed, her voice filled with nothing but happiness. A single tear fell._

_Mal couldn’t stop smiling and cupped Evie’s cheeks, wiping away the tear. She thought the gift idea was cheesy and lame, she even thought about giving up and getting Evie something else but seeing how happy her girlfriend was in that moment made it all worth it. Mal was used to hearing that clichés should be avoided, but if a lame cliché made Evie that happy, Mal was happy to use them._

_“You are loved E, so very much.” Mal whispered, letting her forehead touch Evie’s._

_Evie gave her a watery laugh. The most beautiful sound in the entire universe, Mal thought._

_“As much as I’d love to have you for myself all day, Jay and Carlos will be waiting for us. Also, what we got you is really fucking cool. You’ll see.” Mal said, her smirk falling right in place, showing off the dimples Evie loved so very much._

_“Hmm, can’t wait.” Evie chirped._

_Evie really couldn’t wait. She had never felt this loved in her entire life and prayed for that blissful happiness to never ever end._

_\--_

“I really hope you like it.”

 

Lonnie’s voice pulled Evie out of her thoughts, her much better thoughts. But it wasn’t Lonnie’s fault Evie was not in the mood. So, Evie made an effort and focused on the cheerful Asian girl.

 

“I will.” Evie replied instead of just a nod. Evie opened the box, finding a bracelet, one Evie had been gushing over since the last time she went shopping with Lonnie.

 

“Lonnie! Thank you so much!” Evie hugged the girl smiling.

 

“You’re welcome girl,” Lonnie chuckled. “So, any plans for today?”

 

“Jay and Carlos probably want to hang out.” Evie shrugged. What Evie really wanted was to be with Mal. “Would you like to come?”

 

“I wish I could, but my parents are in town and I really have to be with them.” Lonnie sadly answered as a knock on the door was heard.

 

Evie knew that knock belonged to Jay and Carlos but a part of her wanted it to be Mal on the other side.

 

Jay and Carlos were indeed on the other side, both holding a smile for her.

 

“Hey E! Happy birthday!” They both yelled, which made Evie laugh. They hugged her tight and Evie leaned on them. She needed the comfort of her friends, badly.

 

“Thank you. I love you guys, but I’m really not in the mood for parties or anything.” Evie said as nicely as she could.

 

“Who said anything about a party?” Carlos asked.

 

“Yeah, we’re not here to drag you to a party. We’re here because we wanted to hang out with you.” Jay added.

 

“Also, we got you something.” Carlos said in a happy tone.

 

“Boys! You didn’t have to.” Evie chuckled.

 

“Yeah we kind of did.” Jay protested.

 

“Let us show you!” Carlos was skipping on the spot from excitement.

 

Evie could never say no to the boys. So, she got changed really quick, waved goodbye to Lonnie and left with them.

 

As she walked with the boys she wondered what they had in store for her this year. Last year was pretty hard to top. Well maybe because Mal was involved and she made sure both gifts were…. way beyond Evie’s imagination. Mal had given her the lovely set of handmade coupons. And she got together with Jay and Carlos 3 months prior to get all four of them Ariana Grande tickets for her Dangerous Woman Tour.

Evie smiled. Not only because the show was **amazing** in every sense of the word. Evie couldn’t remember a night where she sang that loud, jumped that much or had that much fun.

 

But Evie smiled because singing an Ariana Grande song was the beginning of everything with Mal and clearly that moment was important enough for her to go out of her way to find tickets.

 

When they got to Jay’s car, he opened the trunk and there was a fairly big box inside.

 

“Guys?”

 

Jay and Carlos leaned on each other, smiling like fools, clearly proud of their gift.

 

“Is that what I think it is!?" Evie blurted out, her hands on her hips, shocked.

 

"We knew you were in need of a new one. So, we're here to deliver." Carlos chuckled.

 

There was no mistaking it. The box held a brand-new sewing machine, one of the latest models, as shown on the outside of the box. The one Evie had belonged to her mother, so it was fairly old and in need of being replaced.

 

"You guys!" Evie was in tears, and the boys wasted no time in pulling her in for a hug.

 

"This must've been so expensive! I'm not worth that much!"

 

The boys shared a look.

 

"We managed." Jay assured her with a smile.

 

"You are worth it, trust me," Carlos added. "So, where do you want to go next? Or what do you want to do?"

 

Evie gave it a thought. Where would she want to go or what would she want to do?

 

_Be with Mal._

 

"Do you want me to be honest, or should I just pick a place?" Evie asked with a sight.

 

The boys frowned. Jay checked his phone.

 

"You know what, maybe we should go somewhere quiet." Jay suggested.

 

"I know just the place." Carlos said, already opening the car door.

 

And who was Evie to say no? It didn't really matter where they were going. What Evie really wanted, more than anything, was to be with Mal on her birthday. But Mal hadn't called, texted or given any signs of remembering Evie's birthday.

 

With that in mind, Evie had no trouble in getting inside the car and the three ended up in a tiny quiet corner in the woods just outside town. It felt refreshing, if Evie was being completely honest.

 

Carlos knew exactly where to go and led them to a little glade where they could just sit and not be disturbed by anyone.

 

"We come here all the time with Dude." Jay explained as they sat down.

 

Dude was the little dog Jay and Carlos got for themselves.

 

"Ah, that explains a lot." Evie chuckled.

 

“I really think you could use a little get away.” Carlos confessed, concern in his eyes.

 

Evie sighted.

 

“I do. Thank you, guys.” Evie answered honestly.

 

The boys gave her a smile.

 

“So…Do you want to talk about it?” Jay tried.

 

“What’s there to talk about? Mal gave up on us. I have to move on and learn how to breathe on my own. End of the story.” Evie huffed, although the sadness in her voice could clearly be heard. Evie had no desire of doing such thing, but Mal wasn’t helping.

 

“E, that’s not true!” Carlos protested, rather loudly and Jay elbowed him.

 

Evie narrowed her eyes.

 

“Carlos? Jay? Do you know something I don’t?”

 

“We don’t,” Jay answered firmly. “We just know Mal. She would never give up on you.”

“Wouldn’t she?” Evie mumbled.

 

The matter dropped, since Carlos insisted that since it was Evie’s birthday, she should have fun, so they easily changed the subject and had a good time until night started falling.

 

It would be pretty hard to find their way back in the dark so the three friends headed back to Evie’s apartment. Jay carried the sewing machine up the stairs.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry it inside? It’s pretty heavy.” Jay insisted.

 

“No, you guys have already done enough for me today. I’m a big girl, I can handle myself. Thank you so much though.” Evie replied, hugging both boys.

 

Jay and Carlos then left, hand in hand, leaving Evie to her thoughts.

 

 

//

 

 

“Maybe we should’ve just told her.” Carlos confessed, as they reached Jay’s car.

 

Jay stopped on his tracks to grab Carlos’ waist and join their foreheads.

 

“I hate lying to her too C. But we promised Mal.” Jay sighted.

 

“I still feel awful.”

 

“Me too. But I do think that if anyone must tell Evie, it has to be Mal.” Jay argued.

 

Carlos sighted and closed his eyes, taking in Jay’s touch.

 

“Hey. They’ll come around.” Jay declared, kissing Carlos’ forehead.

 

Jay’s hopes were followed by a little silence, until Carlos spoke, just as hopeful.

 

“I hope you’re right Jay. And I really hope Mal is doing the right thing.”

 

//

 

Evie didn’t know why it took her so long to finally turn the apartment key, opening the door lock.

 

Actually, she did know. She didn’t want to go inside, because she didn’t have anything or anyone to come home to. If she could call that apartment ‘home’. No one was waiting her to come home safely.

 

Lonnie was out with her parents, so not even her roommate was there to greet her.

 

The boys were long gone by now.

 

And the one person, Evie truly wanted to be with on this day, went radio silent.

 

Evie was dreading the lonely night that was the only thing expecting her. But she couldn’t stay in the building hallway forever, so she grabbed the box, pushed the door with her back and dropped the box so she close lock the door behind her.

 

It was when she turned around that she realized how wrong she had been.

 

Her part of the room was illuminated by multiple candles, carefully placed so there was no chance of anything catching fire and something was resting on the top of her bed.

 

“How did she—” Evie began to question herself but realized mid-sentence.

 

What a dumb question.

 

Evie dropped her bag and carefully approached the bed. She grabbed the envelope first and ripped it open. A letter.

 

‘ _You probably don’t want to see me, but I would never forget your birthday. So, I left something for you._

 

_Happy Birthday E. You’re still the most beautiful girl in the entire world. And even if you hate me right now, I want you to know I will always love you, no matter what._

_M.’_

Evie didn’t know when the tears started falling down her face but she payed no mind to them as the opened the other package.

Inside there was a portrait of one of the moments Mal and Evie had back at the beach house week. Entirely drawn and painted by Mal. It was impossible to remember everything so accurately but that was one of the many gifts Mal had.

 

The view of the beach, of the ocean. The rocks they sat on. Mal even drew them both, sitting on the rocks, the lovely shades of purple and blue mixed with the soothing view. Evie wanted to cry for the whole night.

 

Somehow, Mal always knew how to make Evie the happiest girl in the universe. Another gift Mal had.

 

Because all they ever did was collect moments. Moments that were engraved on Evie’s mind, like tattoos.

 

Evie hugged the portrait, close to her heart wondering if it healed a little bit or if it broke a little more. She really couldn’t tell the difference.

 

Evie walked to the door and huddled against it, her knees close to her chest, her hands covering her teary eyes.

 

“ _I wish you were here with me…_ ” Evie sniffed, her voice barely over a whisper.

 

And like any good old cliché would go, Mal herself was just behind the door, leaning on the hallway wall, hearing all of it.

 

She dropped her initial position, leaned her forehead on the door and closed her eyes. Don’t get her wrong, she was thrilled that her plan worked. Having Jay and Carlos in on it, making sure Evie was away from the apartment long enough for Mal to drop the gift. She was thrilled Evie liked her gifts. Yes, gifts, because Mal also helped with the sewing machine. There was no way in hell the boys had even a clue of which one to get.

 

Mal thought that deep down, Evie knew this. Evie was the smartest girl Mal had ever met after all.

 

But Mal was devastated to see Evie’s heartbreak. Mal’s heart cracked when she heard Evie’s broken voice wishing for Mal to be there, knowing that was the one true birthday gift that Evie really wanted. And there Mal was, just one knock away. But should she knock? Should she go inside? Would Evie truly be happy to see her?

 

Mal wanted to, more than anything in the whole world. To barge in and kiss the holy hell out of Evie, tell her how sorry she was and show Evie how much Mal loved her.

 

Mal wanted to be with Evie. Mal would never give up on Evie. Mal would always love Evie, no matter what.

 

But Mal couldn’t. Not tonight. Not now. Not yet.

 

Or perhaps it was already too late to fix what she broke and she was in denial, still.

 

There was no way she could fix _that_.

 

“ _I’m so sorry E._ ”

 

That was what Mal whispered as she got up, deciding against the idea of showing herself to Evie, making her way through the night, engulfed by shadows. Walking away. No, not walking away. Running away like the coward she really was. Just running away.

 

From the door.

 

From the apartment.

 

From Evie.

 

But not from the memories.

 

No, all the memories, all the moments, all the feelings, those were things Mal could never run from. No, those would be engraved on Mal’s mind for all eternity and right now Mal wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse.

 

After making sure she was far away enough from Evie’s apartment, Mal stopped on her tracks and made a decision. Probably not a great one but as she grabbed her phone and dialed a number she knew there was no turning back now. It didn’t ring for too long until Mal heard the voice on the other side.

 

“ _Mal?_ ”

 

Mal took a deep breath before answering.

 

“I need your help. **_We need to meet_**.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's a brand new chapter! Not exclusively long but it has a little bit of everything and I'm still kind of placing all of the elements together so we can move on to more intense stuff haha
> 
> I'm so happy to see how well recieved this sequel has been so far! Thank you so much for keeping up with me!
> 
> Tell me what you think?
> 
> See you next chapter :) x


	3. Twists and Turns

“You’re late.” Mal growled.

 

“And you’re rude.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes at the sight of Uma’s smirk that hasn’t changed one bit. They had arranged this meeting at Uma’s beach house, to avoid being seen.

 

Uma kept walking until she was next to Mal.

 

“Mal.”

 

“Uma.” Mal nodded.

 

They walked to the bar where Mal spent her evenings during the week they spent there and sat on the exact same table.

 

Uma was still smiling.

 

“You know I’ve dreamed of this? You wanting something from me, and me watching you squirm like a worm on a hook.” Uma nastily mocked Mal.

 

Mal didn’t miss a beat when she opened her mouth to answer.

 

“I’m so flattered that you dreamed of me, I haven’t given you a thought since you left.”

 

In the end it was Uma squirming in her seat, of anger. Mal smiled. She hadn’t tasted victory in months, which reminded her of why she was sitting with Uma.

 

And even though she wasn’t showing it, Uma was different. So, they both silently agreed to stop sliding out to old habits.

 

“So, you must be very desperate, to ask _me_ for help.” Uma commented.

 

“I am.” Mal admitted.

 

Uma scooted closer, paying more attention. Mal’s tone was dead serious, something she never used with Uma, ever.

 

“What happened?”

 

Mal most certainly didn’t want to tell Uma the specifics. It was already hard enough telling Jay, Carlos and Harry. But if she was to get Uma to help, she needed to say something.

 

“Something bad.”

 

Uma nodded.

 

“What do you need from me?”

 

Mal took a deep breath.

 

“I need your help with this.” Mal said, sliding a piece of paper across the table.

 

Uma grabbed it and read the content, widening her eyes at the information. This was most definitely not what Uma was expecting.

 

“You…you really want this?” Uma asked, pretty shocked.

 

Mal simply nodded.

 

“Why?

 

But Mal shook her head, unwilling to discuss any further.

 

Uma sighted.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Did I fucking stutter?” Mal firmly asked.

 

Uma folded the piece of paper and shoved in inside her purse.

 

“I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises Mal.” Uma warned.

 

“I’m sure you can figure it out.” Mal answered.

 

A pause.

 

“And if I’m doing this, here’s the deal,”

 

“Just like your mother, always a catch.” Mal scoffed. Uma was unbothered.

 

“I want you to help me with Harry.” Uma asked.

 

“Not happening,” Mal angrily replied. “Why did I even bother?” She said, standing up.

 

Uma got up as well.

 

“You didn’t let me finish you moron. Sit your impulsive ass down.”

 

Mal looked at Uma for a second and she looked serious, so Mal sat back down.

 

“I didn’t mean help with getting him back. I just wanted a chance to talk to him. I want to apologize for how I treated him you know? You just have to pass the message and I will only talk to him if he wants to.” Uma explained.

 

Mal didn’t recognize the young woman in front of her. That wasn’t the Uma that left a year and a half ago. Maybe it was the coward way out, but it certainly did her some good.

 

“Also, I wanted to apologize to you. I just didn’t know if you’d come if I asked, so I was kind of glad you called.” Uma admitted, fiddling with her fingers.

 

“It’s ok.” Mal brushed it off. She had other things to worry about.

 

“It’s not. Look I’m sorry for what happened at the beach house. It was petty and uncalled for. I was hoping we could try to, you know, be friends maybe?”

 

Uma wasn’t so good with these things and Mal could see she was trying her best.

 

“We’ve been ridiculous, both of us. So yes, we can try.” Mal answered with honesty.

 

Mal looked at the time and got up as she was already late to meet with Jane.

 

“I’ll talk to Harry. No promises though. Keep me updated.” Mal said, grabbing her car keys.

 

Uma nodded, getting up and stopping Mal on her tracks.

 

“Thanks. Listen Mal, whatever happened with the princess…you’ll be fine. Both of you.”

 

Mal froze for a bit. Of course, Uma is no fool, she could easily tell something was going on. Mal looked down.

 

“Will we?”

 

“You will. You forget we used to hang and we actually knew each other well. I’ve known you for so long and I know there’s no one in this world that makes you as happy as Evie does. Evie is the one person you’d give your life for, no questions asked. I know you’re not giving up on her, just like I know that girl is a hopeless romantic and will never stop fighting for and with you. Don’t make the mistake of not fighting for this relationship. I didn’t fight for mine and look how that turned out. So, you get your ass up and you go fight for her.” Uma easily said, a hand on Mal’s shoulder, just like on the day she left.

 

And then Uma blew a kiss and left Mal to her thoughts.

 

Uma really gave her advice? Good advice? Mal almost wanted to punch herself awake from this weird dream she was having except it was real.

 

“C’mon Uma, of course I’m not giving up on her. I’m not that dumb.” Mal mumbled under her breath while racing to her car to meet up with Jane.

 

//

 

“Stay still!” Evie giggled.

 

“E, if you sting me with any of those, I’m calling this friendship off!” Jay playfully replied, trying to stay put as Evie worked her magic.

 

“They’re just sewing needles Jay,” Evie said. “And we’re done. Now don’t move while I take the jacket off.” She instructed.

 

“You could be a model you know? You have it all.” Lonnie joined the conversation as soon as she walked inside the room.

 

“What can I say, I am devilishly handsome.” Jay announced making both girls laugh.

 

“I’m sorry for the mess, I wasn’t expecting you. I thought you had plans.” Evie quickly said, turning to her roommate.

 

“Oh no, I only went out to do some grocery shopping. Jane is busy.”

 

Evie scoffed.

 

“Busy with what? Sleeping? It’s Friday, no one has classes on Fridays.”

 

Jay silently dressed his shirt, hoping that Lonnie would spare him of having to give any kind of answer.

 

“No. She’s always busy in the morning. I only ever get to hang out with her on weekends. Which is though for me since I’ve been wanting to ask her out on a date for a while.” Lonnie admitted, her cheeks slightly blushed.

 

“ _Oh my god_ , shut up, you like Jane?” Jay had a giddy smile on his face and Evie also held a smirk for her friend.

 

“Yeah. But I can’t seem to get a hold of her these days.”

 

“I can help if you want.” Jay offered.

 

“You can? How?” Lonnie excitedly asked.

 

“Well, I’m good friends with her roommate.”

 

Evie’s smirk fell and her focus went back to the jacket she was working on.

 

“Oh, the pretty purple haired girl?” Lonnie asked.

 

“Yeah, Mal. I can call her if you want.” Jay offered, carefully, not taking his eyes from Evie.

 

“Please. I really want to see Jane as soon as possible.” Lonnie begged.

 

Jay gave Evie and inquiring look, asking for permission. Evie nodded, of course.

 

Jay dialed the number.

 

“ _Jay?_ ”

 

“Hey girl!” Jay greeted with a smile.

 

“ _I love you, but I’m in the middle of…you know_.” Mal replied and Jay heard how out of breath she sounded.

 

“Listen Mal, I just need a quick favor for a friend.” Jay explained and Lonnie looked expectantly at the muscled boy.

 

Mal on the other side seemed to recover.

 

“ _Ok, what is it?_ ”

 

“I think it’s better if she tells you herself, you’re on speaker phone.” Jay easily answered, touching the screen and realizing a second later what a terrible idea that one was when Evie sat on the bed with her head down.

 

“Hi Mal? It’s Lonnie, from Jay’s form?” Lonnie greeted.

 

“ _Oh, I see what this is. You’re the Lonnie Jane always tells me about?_ ” Mal voice came through the speaker. She sounded dull and exhausted.

 

Lonnie couldn’t contain a squeal, which made Mal chuckle lightly. Jay thought Evie was going to burst in tears right there by the looks of it and signaled Lonnie to please make it quick.

 

“Ok, so I was just wondering if you could tell Jane that I really need to talk to her. I really can’t seem to get a hold of her these days and since you’re her roommate, Jay thought you might be able to help.” Lonnie explained.

 

“ _Well, that’s probably my fault, she’s been helping me with some stuff and it’s taking up a lot of her free time. I’ll tell her to get back to you, I promise._ ” Mal sounded pretty unbothered and in all honesty, happy to help.

 

‘For _fucks_ sake Mal’, Jay cursed to himself knowing fully well Mal completely forgot she was on speaker phone.

 

“Thank you so much!” Lonnie chirped, earning another chuckle from Mal. Jay could see Evie slowly losing her mind and he decided to end the phone call as soon as possible.

 

“ _No problem_.”

 

Jay took the speaker phone off and put his phone back on his ear.

 

“You’re amazing, thanks for helping. Oh, and I’ll call you later.” Jay quickly said and hung up after Mal replied with a ‘ _Ok, see you soon_.’

 

Lonnie happily went back to her homework and Jay grabbed his bag.

 

Evie got up and walked Jay to the door, they both stepped out of the room and Evie closed the door behind them.

 

“What the hell was that?” She inquired, throwing her hands in the air.

 

“I’m sorry E, it’s a habit of mine!” Jay apologized.

 

But Evie shook her head.

 

“No, not the speaker phone thingy! What’s the deal with Mal and Jane? What is Jane helping her with? _Where is she now_?”

 

Jay blinked.

 

“How am I supposed to know?” He asked, trying to sound casual.

 

“Jay, I’m not stupid so don’t you **dare** lie to me, again.” Evie warned, hands on her hips, glaring furiously at Jay.

 

Jay was a tall and muscled young man but he couldn’t help but feel small and helpless in that moment.

 

“I knew it, I knew you and Carlos were hiding something. You’re going to tell me where Mal is right now.” Evie demanded.

 

“Evie—”

 

“ _Don’t_ ‘Evie’ me.”

 

“It’s not up to me to tell you.” Jay said, now in all seriousness.

 

“Unbelievable!”

 

“We really wanted to tell you E! But we promised Mal!”

 

Evie was starting to cry from anger and Jay was feeling the guilt settle on his gut.

 

“So, Mal matters more to you than I do? Is that it?” Evie wasn’t yelling anymore and the hurt in her voice made Jay wish she was still demanding for answers.

 

“That’s absolutely **not** true Evie. Both of you matter to us equally. But we didn’t ask for this. She came to us, just like you did. And just as Mal doesn’t know the things we talked about during these 6 months, you also don’t know about the things Mal told us. You need to understand how difficult our position is. We did what we thought best to help you both and to not break your trust since you are stubborn as hell and refuse to talk to each other.” Jay explained, sounding desperate.

 

Evie knew Jay was right. But she couldn’t get pass the fact that for 6 months Jay and Carlos were keeping something from her, something she just knew was big.

 

“Tell me where she is.” Evie requested again, using her inner strength to keep her tears at bay.

 

Jay shook his head, unwilling to break Mal’s trust, hurting Evie a little more. But Evie’s mind was already racing.

 

“Fine, I’ll find her myself. I already have a hunch.” Evie pushed past Jay and started running.

 

“Evie!! You can’t! It’s dangerous!” Jay yelled but it was too late as Evie had already slammed the building door.

 

“ **Fuck**.”

 

Jay picked up his phone with his shaky hands and dialed Carlos’ number.

 

“Carlos? Yeah, we have a **problem**. Call Harry and Gil we might need them. I’m on my way.”

 

//

 

 

\--

 

_When Evie showed up, Mal could only stare. Of course, her girlfriend would show up in a kickass dress and a unique look that would most definitely give her the title of prom queen. Evie took Mal’s breath away and it took Mal a full minute to go back to functioning like a normal human._

_“You look—”_

_Evie giggled while doing a little twirl._

_“I know.”_

 

_Mal offered Evie a single rose and she carefully took it, blushing. Evie read about that in books and like the book worm she was, she recalled the exact quote she had read about it:_

_‘A single red rose promises lifelong devotion and love. The red rose speaks of a love that is unchanging and does not wither away. "I will always love you and all my affections are concentrated in you alone", the single red rose says.’_

_That made Evie’s heart jump out of her chest as Mal proved once more to be incredibly thoughtful and romantic._

_Prom was a big deal for both of them. It felt like a royal ball and they got to be each other’s date for the whole night. They’d get their first slow dance as a couple and they’d share a passionate kiss at midnight._

_And prom truly was the most perfect night. Everyone showed up and had fun. Harry and Gil went solo and spent the whole night having the most fun ever._

_Evie won Prom Queen and Jay Prom King, which was fully expected by literally everyone. Instead of the traditional dance they should share, they got off the stage and offered the first dance of the night to Mal and Carlos._

_As Carlos happily took his handsome boyfriend’s hand, Evie offered her own to Mal._

_“Good time as any to remind you I can’t dance.” Mal sheepishly pointed out but didn’t hesitate in taking Evie’s hand and letting her gorgeous girlfriend lead her to the dance floor._

_“I got you. Do you trust me?” Evie asked, while placing Mal’s other hand on her waist._

_“E, of course I trust you.” Mal easily answered._

_When the typical slow song started, Mal let Evie take the lead and allowed herself to enjoy the moment, to enjoy Evie. She basked on Evie’s ballroom dancing skills, on Evie’s inviting brown eyes that always radiated such warmth, joy and happiness, on Evie’s soft skin and how touching it always felt like lightning striking and coursing through her body._

_God, she loved Evie so much. Evie’s smile slowly faded, seeing how Mal had tears in her eyes. Evie joined her forehead and Mal’s._

_“Babe, what’s wrong?” Evie asked, worried._

_Mal chuckled, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall._

_“I’m so in love with you. I’m so happy E, I’m so happy I can’t even keep it inside. I’m crying because I’ve never been this happy and it’s all because of you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you.” Mal whispered, softly but firmly some of the most beautiful words Evie had ever heard._

_“You’re making me cry M.” Evie whispered back, holding back the tears._

_Evie’s hands travelled to Mal’s cheeks, cupping them while she softly placed her lips on Mal’s for a heartfelt kiss. Mal’s hands were both on Evie’s hips while she fully gave in and fiercely kissed Evie back._

_“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me M. Anyone would be lucky to have you and I’m so honored that you chose me. I love you.” Evie whispered letting a few tears slip._

_She loved Mal, oh how much she loved Mal. What she loved most about her was her brutal honesty. There were no lies, no secrets and no sugar coating anything._

_Easily the best night of their lives._

_\--_

Evie parked the car somewhere on the grass and got out, that night still on her mind.

 

She had to find Mal and the first place she thought was the peaceful glade where Carlos and Jay took her on her birthday.

 

Not to brag, but Evie had a great memory and therefore, it was pretty easy to walk around and find the place. As she started hearing voices, she realized her hunch was right. Her heart jumped anxiously as she stepped closer and started understanding what was being said.

 

“Again!”

 

“I can’t!”

 

“Mal, again!”

 

“Jane, I **can’t**!”

 

Evie stopped behind a very well-hidden tree and carefully peeked. Mal was on her knees while Jane stood next to her.

 

“Mal, if you give up, this is never going to work.” Jane said while trying to help Mal stand but gave two steps behind as a loud growl echoed.

 

Mal stood by herself, her eyes glowing viciously, smoke was coming out of her nostrils, her nails replaced by sharp claws and her entire body was shaking.

 

“Mal! Snap out of it!” Jane then muttered a few words that Evie couldn’t understand, only then she realized that Jane also had magic, just like Mal.

 

Mal was back on her knees, this time, no glow, no claws and no smoke. Just Mal.

 

“I told you I couldn’t do it.” Mal shakily spat, trying to get on her feet. Jane stopped her and sat next to her instead.

 

“I say that you can. You’ve definitely improved--”

 

“Jane c’mon, I know how to use my magic, I’ve had it longer than you. I don’t want to improve it, I want to control the damn beast that came along with it.” Mal interrupted exasperated and tired.

 

“I don’t understand,” Jane wasn’t following and Mal couldn’t blame her.

 

“That’s because you don’t know the full story. Or do you really think we were put together as roommates by luck?” Mal sighted.

 

“What’s wrong with luck?” Jane innocently asked.

 

Mal scoffed so loudly it made a soft echo. The irony was overwhealing.

 

“If you only knew.”

 

Jane blinked, surprised to hear that and waited for Mal to keep going.

 

“My point is, I’ve been doing this shit every single day for the last 6 months and it got me nowhere. I’ve busted my ass every day and I still can’t control it! I need to get a hold of this or I’m finding a way to get rid of my magic, for good.” Mal whimpered, covering her eyes with her shaky hands.

 

“Why would you want to give up your magic?” Jane whispered, incredulous.

 

“Because it ruined the best thing I had in my life, that’s why.”

 

Jane found herself not knowing what to say. It took her a while until she spoke again.

 

“You can’t give up now. And you shouldn’t give up on your magic.” Jane tried to reason with her but Mal wasn’t listening anymore. Mal was quietly sobbing, feeling like the world collapsed on top on her. Jane threw her arm around Mal’s tiny shoulders and hugged her close.

 

Evie, still behind the tree, had her own heart falling apart, knowing exactly what was happening there and why. No wonder Mal looked exhausted and more dead than alive on a daily basis. No wonder Jay and Carlos didn’t tell her anything. She could understand, but at the same time she couldn’t. And she was determined to do something about it. So, she got out of her hiding and slowly approached the duo.

 

Jane was so confused she couldn’t even speak, so Evie did it for her and softly tried to get Mal’s attention.

 

“Mal?”

 

Mal’s eyes immediately locked on the source of the sound and she looked absolutely terrified. Because the one thing she feared most had just happened.

 

“ **Evie**?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiyaaaa!
> 
> New chapter!! Things are beginning to escalate and from now on we're going to get more face to face malvie whoop whoop!
> 
> I hope you guys like it and once again THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support and all the kind words it truly means the world to me <3
> 
> See you next chapter :) x
> 
> Twitter: @swanjonhesonice  
> Tumblr: @imharryaf


	4. Scars

“ **Evie**?”

 

Evie was hell bent on being angry at Mal, for keeping this from her, for being stubborn, for a lot of things, but seeing Mal literally on her knees with the most horrified expression on her face, she decided against it, at least for the time being.

 

Mal on the other hand, stood up, staggering and ignoring Jane’s attempts to keep her on the spot.

 

“No, no, no, no, you can’t be here, you can’t be here, **you can’t be here**!” Mal was passing, unable to keep her panic inside. Her hands were already fizzing, the unstable magic trying to leave her body.

 

Evie started to think showing up was a mistake, but she had to talk to Mal.

 

“Mal, I just want to talk.” Evie explained in the calmest way possible.

 

Mal wasn’t listening though.

 

“Oh, those guys, I’m going to kill them, _I’m going to kill them all_!” Mal’s eyes started glowing, that venomous green flashing from her soul to her orbits.

 

“Mal, please clam down. I forced Jay’s hand but he didn’t tell me anything. Can we please talk?” Evie asked, taking a careful step closer but Mal immediately jumped back.

 

“ **No**! Don’t get any closer!” Mal shrunk on herself, keeping her hands as close to her chest as she could.

 

Jane got up and grabbed Mal’s hands, her own magic flowing and mixing with Mal’s.

 

“You’re ok Mal. Relax.” Jane’s soothing voice grabbed Mal’s attention and her entire body visibly relaxed, her eyes slowly returning to the natural shade of green as she held on to Jane’s touch. That made Evie’s insides twist horribly.

 

Jane’s attention was now on Evie.

 

“I think you need to leave.” Jane warned, glaring at her fiercely and Evie saw it. Jane was protective of Mal.

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Evie calmly but firmly contested. This girl was not about to tell Evie what do to, especially regarding Mal.

 

Jane gave one step forward, positioning herself between Mal and Evie.

 

“Who do you think you are!? Look at what you just did! **Leave**!”

 

Evie opened her mouth to fight back when Mal grabbed Jane’s arm and had a fierce look of her own, staring right into Jane’s soul.

 

“Do **not** talk to her like that.” A little sentence that sounded like a vicious growl. Jane had heard that type of venom coming from Mal, just not directed at her.

 

“But Mal—”

 

Mal glared at Jane again and it was enough for her to stop talking.

 

“Can you not be here right now?” Mal asked, way less aggressive now. Just asking.

 

“Are you sure?” Jane carefully wondered.

 

“No,” Mal admitted, shaking her head. “But we don’t need an audience.”

 

Jane sighted but nodded in agreement.

 

“I’ll be nearby, call if you need me.” Jane said while leaving, shooting one last glare at Evie, one she ignored completely.

 

As soon as Jane was out of sight, Evie spoke.

 

“Why did you keep this from me?”

 

“Do I really need to explain?” Mal sighted.

 

“Yes! Because I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other! I thought we weren’t going to be like everyone else!” Evie protested, stepping closer. Mal kept the distance by stepping back.

 

Mal saw the fire in Evie’s eyes and realized that for the first time in 6 months, she had no way out of the conversation they were about to have. So, she shouted the answer to Evie’s question like it was so obvious.

 

“I was trying to protect you! I’m doing this for us!” Mal’s voice cracked on the word ‘us’ and Evie for a second there forgot why she was so upset. But it was just for a second. Because Evie had a lot to say.

 

“But that’s the thing Mal! You ran away! You’re not doing this for us! You’re not doing anything for us! And you know why? Because you’ve made a bunch of decisions, by **yourself**! I didn’t have a say in any of this! **You** broke up this relationship! **You** decided to start training your magic without telling me! **You** —”

 

“Stop! Stop Evie stop!” Mal yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks violently, incredibly hurt by Evie’s cool and detached tone.

 

“No! I’m not done! You gave up on us! You excluded me from decisions we should’ve made **together**!” Evie yelled back, her own tears starting to fall as well and Mal had never heard such hurt and such anger coming from Evie. Mal knew that this entire situation was a trigger for each and every one of Evie’s insecurities, therefore her intense reaction.

 

“I didn’t give up on us! Why the **fuck** would I be doing this, if not for us?!”

 

“Then why didn’t you tell me!?”

 

“ **I was scared!!** ” Mal then stopped shouting as her gut was viciously boiling and Mal feared she would lose control.

 

Evie noticed Mal’s heavy breathing. Evie knew she needed to calm down, for both their sakes but she had 6 months’ worth of silence.

 

“Do you know why you broke my heart? You broke my heart because the moment you walked away I knew you stopped believing in **us** , in **me**. You don’t trust me anymore and every promise we ever made was **broken** , **forgotten**.” Evie quietly admitted, making an effort not to sob but letting her tears fall freely.

 

“Don’t say that! Please don’t say that! You’re wrong!” Mal fiercely protested, but her world was crumbling again, seeing Evie so sure that Mal no longer valued her, which couldn’t be the furthest from the truth. Hearing how she got Evie’s heart broken and how it made her feel was destroying Mal from the inside.

 

“Am I? Jay and Carlos knew about this did they not? And you asked them for help, to keep this quiet, you trusted **them**. And your new magical friend? You seem to trust her plenty, enough to ask for **her** help.” Evie’s response sounded way too bitter but she didn’t care at this point.

 

“You really that’s what this is about, that I broke up with you, that kept this from you because I don’t trust you?” Mal asked, her voice trembling.

 

“Then that else is it about?”

 

“ **Of course, I trust you**!”

 

“Then why do you keep pulling away from me!?” Evie asked exasperated and hurt.

 

“You want the truth? Here!” Mal yelled, stepping in closer and grabbing Evie’s hands, mumbling indistinguishable words.

 

And the world around them disappeared. Evie was almost sure Mal was showing her a memory, but Evie didn’t remember what she was seeing…

 

\--

 

_“Evie! Evie please wake up! Please don’t leave me….” Mal was crying on the floor, holding Evie’s unconscious body, shaking and desperate. There was blood, a lot of it._

_“Oh god…what have I done? Please come back to me…. I love you E….” Mal pressed her shirt against Evie’s torso, trying to stop the huge wound from bleeding out. Evie’s cheeks were losing color as time passed by and Mal had no fucking clue of what to do next. Mal could no longer feel Evie’s pulse and panic took over her tiny body._

_“ **Someone please help…** ”_

_In that moment there was a flash of light and a woman was now in front of Mal. In any other situation, Mal would be surprised, fascinated even, but due to the horrible position she was currently in, she didn’t even flinch._

_“Oh my god, what happened child?” The woman kneeled next to Mal and she didn’t even care that she didn’t know who this stranger was, all Mal cared about was Evie._

_“I- I don’t exactly remember I- My magic it- I couldn’t control it- I don’t know what I did I just know it was me, fuck this is all my fault, please help her, please!” Mal stuttered and struggled to get the words out, because of how hard she was crying and sobbing. Mal never felt so terrified in her entire life, not even when she was on the other end of her mother’s atrocities._

_The woman signaled Mal to step away._

_Mal backed up just enough to let the woman work but was still close enough to hold Evie’s cold hand._

_Seeing Mal’s glare, the woman offered her a reassuring smile, while examining the girl in front of her._

_“Don’t worry. I have magic just like you and I also happen to be a doctor.”_

_Mal wanted to ask her more questions but she was physically unable to stop crying and collect herself enough to speak so she just nodded and went back to look at Evie._

_The woman carefully removed Mal’s shirt from the wounded area and started reciting words that Mal didn’t understand but just knew were a part of a healing spell. A greenish warm light emanated from the woman’s hand and involved Evie’s torso. Mal could see the blood all over Evie’s clothes and her own but the wound was healing._

_Several agonizing minutes passed as the woman kept mumbling the same words over and over again to keep the spell at maximum power and Mal pulled through just enough to offer her free hand to the woman._

_“You must be tired, use my magic.” Mal offered not really knowing if such thing was possible._

_The woman smiled and gladly took Mal’s hand. Mal felt the magic being drained from her but she didn’t care one bit._

_“Thank you. I was indeed reaching my limit. What great magical power you have.” The woman said._

_Mal looked down, her tears now silent still running down her face._

_“I wish I didn’t have it. This is my fault…”_

_“Is she your friend?”_

_“Girlfriend. She’s my whole world.” Mal corrected. The woman gave her an understanding look and the green light faded._

_Mal immediately scooted closer. Evie’s skin wasn’t as pale as before and Mal could now hear Evie’s weak breathing, but the pretty blue haired girl was still unconscious._

_“Is she— will she…?” Mal stuttered still scared to her core._

_“She’s going to be just fine. She still needs rest because she lost a lot of blood, and I want to make sure everything’s ok so I insist we bring her to the hospital I work at. She had a few broken ribs, which are now fixed,” The woman then looked at Evie. “But since this was a magically inflicted wound on a human with a long period of exposure, she’s stuck with the scar...I’m so sorry.”_

_Mal lost the little strength she had left. The right side of Evie’s torso was now the home of a huge thick scar, surrounded by countless others. Mal had zero memories of the event but she was now sure the tail of the beast was what hit Evie hard and fast enough to break her ribs and slash her perfect skin with it’s pointy end, sharp as a rusty knife and it’s disgusting scales._

_Disgusting. That’s how Mal felt. Utterly disgusting._

_She looked at her trembling hands, stained with blood, Evie’s blood and felt so filthy, so unworthy, so lost._

_Nothing was right in the world. And a world where Mal had hurt Evie with such violence was not a world Mal wanted to live in._

_\--_

Evie decided she hated this spell. Because everything was way too vivid and because she could feel everything Mal felt and was feeling right now. A full spectrum of emotions flooded Evie’s body and she felt truly in pain. Disgust, despair, terror, anger, confusion, love, and hate. A lot of hate. Mal hated herself. Mal hated herself so much. She hated who she was. Evie was in pure shock.

 

Mal used to be very proud of her magic, of how she could make Evie happy by simply lighting a candle with a flicker of her wrist or put on a firefly show for her.

 

Now? She hated the simple fact that magic existed. They were back on the glade, spell undone and Mal was already at a safe distance from Evie.

“There. That’s the part of the night that you don’t remember because you were—” Mal’s words were cut short by the sting of pain and guilt she felt.

 

Evie didn’t know what to say. Mal never had the guts to tell her exactly what happened after her magic went rouge. And Mal still had no memory of what happened before. They broke up soon after Evie was given permission to leave the hospital and they never spoke of it again, until now. Evie’s heart was shattered.

 

“M...”

 

“You stopped breathing E. You almost died. If Jane’s mother hadn’t found me when she did…” Mal choked.

 

Evie’s face was of realization.

 

“Jane’s mother...Of course, now it makes sense…”

 

Mal simply nodded.

 

“I sunk deep and spiraled after we broke up because that right there is my fault…” Mal pointed to Evie’s torso. “Because of me you stopped using short clothes…You feel bad and insecure about yourself because of me. I am such a disgusting person. I’m dangerous, a monster. I couldn’t take it, watching you frown in front of the mirror and knowing that was my doing. I can’t bear the thought of ever hurting you again.”

 

Evie was going to interrupt but Mal held a hand as she wasn’t finished yet.

 

“So, I went back to the hospital to find Jane’s mother again and asked her for guidance. I had to explain to her what I told you the first time I lost control. That my bloodline is known for the shapeshifting ability. But my mother abandoned me without telling me that I’d go through this massive change one day,” Mal made a brief pause and Evie frowned upon hearing that Mal had been abandoned. She already knew it, but it didn’t stop her heart from aching.

 

“It happened later than what should’ve been because I was already in my teens when my magical powers manifested themselves for the first time. And finally, the unfortunate fact that my natural shapeshift is a massive and disgusting dragon that I was unable to control which resulted in me losing my grip on my magic in general, that was aggravated by the fact that magical powers are tethered to one’s deepest emotions. And even though I feel everything a little too intensely, I feel the most everything when I’m with you...” Mal took a deep breath, more tears falling down her cheeks.

 

“Jane also has magic, so she’s helping you instead.” Evie concluded for her.

 

“Yes. Her mother is a very busy woman, so she found a way to still help me by pulling some strings and got her daughter assigned as my roommate, to make things easier. Once a month she comes by and tutors both of us though.” Mal explained. Evie wanted full disclosure and Mal was way too tired to lie or fight it off. Evie’s silence gave Mal green light to keep talking.

 

“I didn’t tell you anything because I didn’t want you around while I was doing this. I broke up with you so I wouldn’t have to lie to you. But for the first weeks I showed up full of bruises and such. I couldn’t keep it from the boys, but I made them promise they wouldn’t tell you. I busted my ass everyday because I wanted to fix what I broke. I still want that, more than anything. I know I did it all wrong, but I want to be with you more than anything in this world and I’d give up **anything** to reverse what happened. I thought if I found a way to fix myself that I wouldn’t have to worry you.” Mal confessed, letting out a broken sob.

 

Evie didn’t stop her own tears from falling, as Mal’s deep revelations sunk in. Mal held the weight of the world on her shoulders and she couldn’t get inside her thick head that the answer wasn’t to push Evie away, but to let her in so they could go through this together.

 

“Mal, you don’t need any fixing. What’s done is done. You don’t have to do this alone. I just wish you would’ve told me…I had the right to know…” Evie whispered, just as broken as Mal was.

 

“I couldn’t! Look at what I’ve done! I broke you!” Mal raised her voice, throwing her hands in the air.

 

Evie gasped, incredulous.

 

“Did you actually think I wouldn’t stay with you? Did you think I would stop loving you? After everything we’ve been through! Did you think I’d **ever** leave your side?”

 

“No, I know you **wouldn’t**! That’s what scared me the most! And I didn’t want that for you! Magic always comes with a price and this price is way too high and it’s something I didn’t want to force on you—”

 

“Love means being **together** Mal, for god’s sake!” Evie interrupted, her voice raspier than usual due to going up an octave and because of how much Evie had been crying.

 

“I know! But it also means sacrifice! And protecting the person you love, how could— How could a part of me **not** want you to find better after what I’ve done!?" Mal fiercely countered, her hands curled into fists.

 

“But Mal, I will **gladly** spend the rest of my days fighting that fucking dragon as long as I have **you** by my side!” Evie yelled back just as fiercely, the fire inside her eyes igniting again.

 

Mal’s face fell in shame, guilt and sadness, unable to give Evie an answer. Of course, Uma was right again. Evie was indeed a hopeless romantic and would never, ever stop fighting for them.

 

“You needed to believe in us M...” Evie quietly added.

 

“I do E, I do. I just—"

 

Mal felt a wave of actual physical pain and it was so strong that she fell on her knees again, groaning and she didn’t know if the reason was upon reliving those painful moments with the spell or if the beast was trying to come out. Maybe it was both and it was absolutely unbearable.

 

“…Mal? Mal!” Evie completely forgot they were arguing and immediately kneeled next to Mal.

 

“No! What the fuck Evie, back off, it’s not safe.” Mal groaned, still in pain, seeing double and sweating.

 

“I’ll be the judge of that, so once and for all, shut the fuck up and let me help!” Evie snapped, worry flooding her voice.

 

Mal was going to protest but Evie shut her up by pressing their lips together and the entire world stopped for both of them.

 

It was like everything was ok in the world again. Mal’s pain was gone and she couldn’t help it. Mal completely gave in, kissing Evie intensely, feeling the raging hunger taking control of her body. She missed Evie so fucking much, she never wanted to let her go.

 

Evie wanted to shut Mal up, but when Mal kissed back, Evie drowned. Because Evie missed Mal so fucking much and after 6 hellish months there she was, kissing Evie without a care in the world. Evie never wanted it to end. Evie wanted to kiss Mal like that for the rest of her life. And no number of **scars** would ever change Evie’s mind.

 

If only Mal knew that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wehey I'm back y'all!
> 
> So, lil Jane in the beginning but this chapter is all about Malvie! I'm so sorry about the possible pain you might feel due to the extreme angst, but well they needed to eventually really talk to each other right?? Will they bounce back? 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like it! 
> 
> See you next chapter :) x


	5. Shattered Sight

"Mal!"

 

"Evie!"

 

Both girls turned their heads to the source of the sound.

 

Out of the woods, Jay, Carlos, Harry and Gil came out, all of them gasping for air. They stopped on their tracks seeing as Mal and Evie still sat on the ground next to each other, nothing really happening as Evie's lips left Mal's as soon as she heard the voices. Jane also showed up from the woods.

 

"Are- are you ok?" Carlos shyly inquired, clearly asking the question to both girls.

 

Evie took a good look at all of them. Jay and Carlos looked worried and their eyes darted between Mal and Evie. Harry had his eyes on Mal like he was looking for something. Gil was just staring at the whole scene, expectant. Jane had her eyes strictly on Evie, furious that she was still there. Evie couldn’t believe it.

 

Mal quickly looked around, to all her friends, then to Evie that stood up. ‘ _No_ ’.

 

“So, **_everyone_** knew about this but me?” Evie yelled the question meant for every single one of them in absolute disbelief.

 

The silence that followed Evie's question was haunting. Even the wind and the fauna seemed unusually quiet.

 

Jay and Carlos lowered their heads in shame. Gil was giving Evie an apologetic look, like he was silently asking for forgiveness. Harry seemed kind of nervous but didn't break eye contact. Jane kept glaring at Evie, unbothered. And Mal couldn't possibly look more ashamed or more guilty, unable to give an answer to Evie. No one wanted to open their mouths really.

 

"I see how it is." Evie wanted to sound angry and menacing but the crack in her voice told a very different story.

 

Evie had never felt so betrayed in her entire life. The only few people she actually trusted and cared about were in fact all keeping secrets and lying to her. It was like she was seeing them through broken glass, all of them unrecognizable. It was almost impossible not to think they loved the purple haired girl the most.

 

"Evie—" Mal started, holding a hand and a few sparkles came from it. They didn’t hurt anyone but Mal knew she was starting to spiral again. Her hands were trembling aggressively and she looked at them, terrified. Evie ignored the unstable magic, as shock was still visible on her beautiful complexion.

 

"I have to go."

 

"No. No, Evie wait!"

 

But Mal couldn't stop Evie from turning on her heels and run as fast as her feet allowed, because as soon as Mal tried to stand, her legs immediately gave up, like two big chunks of jelly.

 

Harry and Jane came out of nowhere and kept Mal from falling but she paid no attention to them, trying to break free from her friends’ hands.

 

“We got this.” Jay said and left with Carlos and Gil on his tail.

 

“No, I have to go after her! Let me go!” Mal protested.

 

“Yer not goin’ anywhere lass. Ye have to rest and heal first.” Harry firmly countered, worry flooding his bright blue eyes.

 

“He’s right Mal. What the hell was that?” Jane spoke, her tone clearly still offended over Mal’s angry attitude.

 

“Not now Jane.” Mal groaned, allowing Harry to guide her to the biggest tree around and help her sit down without further damage to her exhausted body.

 

“Yes, now Mal. You knew this wasn’t going to end well, yet you basically kicked me out. You could’ve been hurt! You put all of us in danger! I’ve been here every day right next to you, trying my best to help. I deserve an answer. Why would you be so reckless because of some girl?” Jane wasn’t going to let it go and Mal had to swallow her anger.

 

“Evie Grimhilde _is not_ just some girl. That’s my ex-girlfriend, the love of my life, who I severely injured because I blacked out and couldn’t control this,” The pain in Mal’s voice was enough to lift the harsh stare Jane was giving her. “The only reason we even know each other is because your mom found us, saved her life and promised to give me the help I needed. We were fighting, yes, but we were talking like we hadn’t in the 6 months that passed since the breakup and, even though I appreciate your concern, you guys ruined it. So, are you quite finished interrogating me?” Mal finished, closing her eyes, trying to keep the tears inside.

 

Jane didn’t know what to say. So, to avoid more problems, she started to heal Mal’s body, quietly.

 

After she was done, she figured Mal didn’t exactly want her there anymore and excused herself, leaving only Harry to keep Mal company.

 

“I need to tell you something.” Mal turned to Harry.

 

“What is it?” He asked, unsure if he liked where this conversation was going.

 

“I made a deal with Uma.”

 

“Ye did **_what_** now!?” Harry practically yelled.

 

“I made a deal and I’m going through with it. I’m only telling you this because in return she asked me to pass along a message. She would like to talk to you, only if you want.” Mal explained quickly while getting up, ready to leave.

 

“Mal wait! What deal? Ye know a deal with Uma is a deal with the devil, right? What were ye thinking?” Harry got up as well, ignoring completely what Mal just told him.

 

Mal shrugged and gave him the saddest of smiles.

 

“I was thinking of Evie.”

 

And Harry couldn’t fight back. Would he go the extra mile for Ben? Yes, he would. In a heartbeat. How could he judge Mal? But he also knew that Mal was probably going into something risky and reckless. So, he was going to fight back.

 

“Don’t try to change my mind. My decision is final.” Mal read the handsome boy’s thoughts and voiced her own.

 

“Ye made a deal with Uma, of all people. Of course I’m going to try to change yer mind.” Harry protested.

 

“Trust that I know what I’m doing.” Mal simply asked.

 

“I’m goin’ to regret this.” Harry sighted.

 

“Now I need to find Evie.” Mal got up and was ready to leave but Harry grabbed her arm, carefully.

 

“Ye think that’s the best idea right now? Maybe ye should let her cool off for a bit.” Harry wondered. Mal knew the boy was concerned for her and couldn’t help but feel grateful that life somehow brought them together. But he didn’t know Evie like Mal did.

 

“Evie doesn’t ‘cool off’ Harry, she bottles up these feelings and lets them take root inside her until she no longer believes she’s good enough for any of us. She’s probably off somewhere thinking all of her friends’ value me over her and it sucks because it’s all my fault, yet again. I can’t let her lose herself because of my mistakes.”

 

Harry let go of Mal and crossed his arms, deep in thought.

 

Mal closed her eyes. She relived the moment before speaking up.

 

“She kissed me.”

 

Harry gasped. With everything going on, a kiss seemed highly unlikely.

 

“Are ye serious?”

 

“Yeah. She kissed me to shut me up but then we kind of forgot we were fighting at all. Then you guys showed up...” Mal explained in a glum tone already missing the apple and cinnamon combo that were the addicting taste of Evie’s lips.

 

“I’m sorry we barged in on ye guys.” Harry then said, sincerely.

 

“Don’t think about it. It’s not like everything is fine between us anyway.” Mal sadly pointed out.

 

Harry then approached the subject like he was stepping on egg shells.

 

“Mal?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Don’t ye think it’s time ye let Evie help ye out?” Harry asked, already expecting to be yelled at. But no yelling came.

 

“I want to. I want her next to me more than anything. But can I promise that she’ll be safe? Can I promise she won’t get hurt again? Can I promise that I’ll be ok all the time? The answer is no to all of them. Because I can’t control this to the point where I completely black out. I’d rather live the rest of my life alone and knowing she hates me as long as she’s safe.” Mal explained.

 

“No one is ok 100% of the time Mal. And that’s ok, ye know?” Harry quietly pointed out, shoving his hands in his pockets.

 

Mal opened her mouth but realized the boy had a point and had nothing to tell him. So, like they read each other’s minds, the two friends, in silence, made their way back to Harry’s car, the only one that was still there and a couple of hours later they were back at Mal’s apartment.

 

“I’ll be around the next couple of days if ye need me I’ll be crashing at Ben’s house. Don’t do anything stupid.” Harry warned before waving and driving away.

 

Mal watched as her friend drove into the sunset. She’d smile if she wasn’t so broken. She made Harry drive her around, to look for Evie but, like always, Mal was out of luck and couldn’t find her anywhere. She was too tired and too afraid to use a tracking spell so she ended up empty handed. Mal opened the apartment door without a care in the world, thanking the lord right after seeing Jane wasn’t inside. ‘Probably at her mother’s explaining how much of a bitch I am.’ Mal thought while crashing on the bed, falling asleep immediately.

 

 

//

 

 

Harry was sitting impatiently, inside his car, tapping his fingers on the wheel. Just as he was wondering why the hell he was doing this, the passenger seat door opened and Uma got inside.

 

At first it was all very awkward. Uma got to see how Harry grew to be even more attractive than she remembered, with his perfectly messy hair and his sculpted jawline, sharper than ever. Uma always said Harry looked like he came straight from a Greek Mythology book. Or maybe he hadn’t changed at all and it was just the sparkle in his blue eyes that she knew he found during the time she was away.

 

Harry, on the other hand, saw how Uma ditched the usual long braids for what he would describe as mermaid looking blue locks. That was the first and biggest shocker, as Uma was always so very protective of the braids.

 

“So, you look nice.” Uma broke the ice, offering the boy a careful, even nervous, smile.

 

“Ye look nice too.” Harry answered. He wasn’t sure of what to do. He didn’t want to return the smile but he also didn’t want to look or sound too rude. Uma seemed to read his mind.

 

“You don’t have to pretend to be nice. I’m already happy that you texted.” Uma confessed.

 

“Yeah, I’m not doing this for ye.” Harry calmly stated.

 

“Oh, I know.”

 

Harry seemed surprised.

 

“I know you’re not ready to forgive me yet,” Uma shrugged. “You’re here for Mal.”

 

“Ay, I am,” Harry shifted in his seat so he could really face Uma. “I don’t know what deal ye made with her, but I’m sure this is goin’ to end bad for her. She doesn’t need more pain. Don’t go through with it.” Harry pleaded. Uma raised an eyebrow. She noticed it, when she met up with Mal. And she was seeing it now again. Harry and Mal were protective of each other.

 

“I know you don’t believe a word I say, but you need to trust me on this. I mean no harm to her. I fully disagree with what she wants to do. But if she decided to do it, it’s her choice. Not mine, not yours. The only other person who should have a say in this is the blueberry princess, but knowing Mal, I doubt it.” Uma explained.

 

Harry huffed.

 

“Ye can’t possibly tell me yer goin’ to let her be in danger. Again.” Harry protested, his blood boiling.

 

“It’s what she wants!”

 

“That doesn’t mean it’s right!” Harry yelled. “God, Uma I actually believed ye were different!”

 

"I am different Harry. If I were the same person, I would've never helped her and I'd let her rot. Believe me, the pain she's in now is destroying her. If I were the same person, I'd probably be plotting a way of breaking you and Ben up so you'd be heartbroken again and eventually get back with me or some other elaborated shit." Uma swiftly countered Harry's outburst with a soothing but genuine tone that Harry couldn't believe he was hearing.

 

"Sorry." Was all Harry could say.

 

"I get it. You're still upset. I'd be too. Listen, I'm not going to beg for forgiveness, but I do feel like apologizing to you for everything I did, is the right thing to do. So, I am truly sorry Harry." Uma said, not expecting an answer from her ex-boyfriend who seemed lost in his thoughts.

 

"I guess I can try to talk Mal out of it, but she's a stubborn pixie. If she insists, I'm not going to hold her back." Uma then stated, opening the car door to leave.

 

"Wait." Harry asked.

 

Uma looked back at him.

 

"What is Mal planning to do?"

 

Uma sighted.

 

"She wants to get rid of her magic."

 

"What!?" Harry yelled in absolute shock but Uma was already out of the car and too far away to chase. He took a moment to breathe.

 

"Oh no. I have to get to her. I need to tell the others." He spoke to himself while starting the car and driving as fast and as safe as he could. Why did Uma have to pick a place so far away from town?

 

'Bloody hell.'

 

 

//

 

 

"I feel so bad." Carlos said as Jay opened the door to the apartment they shared, both followed by Gil after hours of searching.

 

"We all do." Gil said, collapsing on a chair.

 

Carlos shook his head, his eyes starting to water. Jay threw the keys far enough for them to land on the bed and wrapped his arms around Carlos. He hid his face in Jay's chest.

 

"And we couldn't find her anywhere." Carlos whimpered.

 

"It's going to be ok C, I promise." Jay whispered.

 

'C'mon E, where are you?' Jay wondered to himself, knowing that if they didn't find Evie, it was because she didn't want to be found. But he couldn't start the thinking process because there was a loud bang on the door.

 

Startled, Jay opened the door to find Harry on the other side, so out of breath one could argue he was having an asthma attack.

 

"Where....is.... Mal?" Harry asked in between sharp breaths.

 

"Wasn't she with you?" Carlos inquired, pretty sure Harry didn't leave Mal in the woods alone.

 

"About 6 hours ago yes. Then I dropped her home because I had...something to do and when I came back I only found Jane. Please tell me ye know where she is." Harry blurted out and he sounded like a mad man.

 

"We don’t...we've been looking for Evie." Gil explained, getting up from the chair.

 

"Ye don't know where she is either? Oh fuck."

 

Gil, who knew his best friend all too well, came up to him, both hands on his shoulders and forced Harry to look at him.

 

"Harry, what is going on?"

 

Harry took a deep breath.

 

"It's bad, but I'll explain on the way. Right now, we have to find the princess, she's our only hope."

 

The boys didn't think twice in grabbing their jackets, car keys and dashing through the stairs, hoping luck would strike them this time.

 

 

//

 

 

It was so weird being back there. Weird and depressing if Mal was being honest.

 

Mal was literally having war flashbacks as she sat on the same grass she made a bunch of promises to Evie. Promises Mal ended up breaking.

 

“Hey.”

 

Uma’s voice brought Mal back to the land of the living. Uma sat next to her.

 

“So, Harry and I talked earlier today.” Uma told Mal.

 

“Did he really?” Mal seemed a bit surprised. She was certain he wouldn’t.

 

“Yeah. Nothing really changed, but thanks for telling him anyway.”

 

“Whatever.” Mal wasn’t too concerned for Uma’s feelings. She couldn’t even get a grip on her own.

 

“Mal, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?” Uma questioned.

 

Mal raised an eyebrow.

 

“If I wanted someone all over my ass about this, I certainly wouldn’t have picked you.” Mal angrily replied.

 

Uma scoffed.

 

“You do know there are risks to this spell, don’t you?” Uma asked.

 

“I’ll take my chances.” Mal huffed.

 

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but this is probably the shittiest decision you’ve ever made.”

 

It was Mal’s turn to scoff but then she quietly answered.

 

“No, it’s not. The shittiest thing I’ve ever done was breaking Evie’s heart.”

 

“No wonder! You’re one hell of a stubborn bitch! She wants to be with you, dumbass! Let her!” Uma tried to reason with Mal.

 

Mal didn’t even blink though.

 

“Let’s get this over with.” She announced, getting up.

 

Uma sighted heavily in defeat. ‘Stubborn bitch’ seemed about right.

 

“This is my final warning Mal. Magic is a part of you. It’s linked to your soul, to your own existence. Even if this works correctly and unties your bond with your powers, you might lose who you really are forever. And if it doesn’t work properly, your soul will be trapped inside this sea shell for good because there isn’t a way to reverse spell. You will **die**.” Uma explained slowly and carefully just how dangerous this stunt really was, thinking that maybe like this, Mal would eventually be scared enough to back out.

 

But Mal just looked her in the eyes and Uma couldn’t help but notice how the green in Mal’s eyes seemed darker. Less lively. Deprived of hope. Unhappy.

 

“I already lost myself Uma. When I saw what **I** had done to Evie, when I looked at **my** hands stained with **her** blood, when I saw the permanent scar **I** had left on **her** body, that’s when I lost sight of who I am. Because this,” Mal pointed at herself. “Is not who Evie fell in love with. She fell in love with the girl. And there’s little of the girl left, because the beast has won every single fight. I don’t give a fuck about what happens to me. I just want to make sure I never hurt anyone I care about ever again. I just want to make sure I don’t hurt Evie ever again. I don’t want blood in my hands ever again. If the price is my own life… _so be it_.”

 

Uma heard Mal’s speech and thought Mal was being very noble and very fucking stupid. More stupid than noble in all honesty. But Uma had tried to change Mal’s mind, had warned her of the danger she was about to face and yet, Mal was determined to do it anyway. In the name of love. Uma’s part was done.

 

“Let me get my things. We’ll start in a bit. Maybe you should… you know, call people and whatnot...” Uma blurted out before going inside her mother’s beach house to get ready.

 

Mal was left alone. What Uma really meant was for Mal to say her goodbyes in case her stunt failed. Should she? Was she really going to die?

 

Before her brain could come up with a logical line of thought, Mal was already dialing that one phone number.

 

“Pick up for fucks sake.”

 

But Mal was sent to voicemail. Voicemail it was then.

 

“Evie? It’s me, uhm, it’s Mal. Look I-I don’t really know what to say. I’m sorry about how things turned out. I’m sorry I couldn’t love you the way you deserved. I’m sorry I broke your heart and made you miserable because of my mistakes. But I’m about to fix it. Not long now until this is all over. Just know that whatever happens…I love you. Always and forever. I will never love anyone the way I love you. You will always be in my heart. And—" Mal’s message was cut short due to the voicemail time limit.

 

She wiped a few tears that fell during the little vulnerable moment and shoved her phone inside her pocket, pretending she wasn’t completely heartbroken over the thought of never seeing Evie again.

 

“You ready?” Mal heard Uma call.

 

After whispering _‘I love you E_.’ while looking at the few stars that were starting to show in the sky, Mal turned around to face Uma.

 

“ **Yes**.”

 

 

//

 

 

It was a good thing Evie had a spot all for herself. One she got after breaking up with Mal, so not even the purple haired beauty knew about it. She will spare you the details because, well, it would stop being a secret, right?

 

Her phone had been ringing constantly. Phones calls from all of her friends, probably wondering where she was. Evie just wanted to be alone though. Alone with the memory of the kiss she shared with Mal a few hours before. Then it stopped for a while, then it started again. It wasn’t until her phone buzzed instead of ringing that she really payed attention to it. It had been a while since the constant ringing had stopped, meaning her friends had stopped looking. She unlocked it and opened the voicemail.

 

What Evie heard through the phone had her experience the equivalent of a building crashing on top of her, the equivalent of the world breaking around her, like her sight was shattered.

 

“No, no, no, Mal what have you done!?” Evie yelled, already in between sobs and running as fast as she could. Fortunately, she wasn’t far from her apartment. Shakily and out of breath, Evie still managed to call Jay, completely forgetting she was even angry with him and the others. Jay picked up instantly.

 

“ _Evie! What the fuck, we’ve been looking all over for you!!”_ He screamed on the other side and Evie detected an inch of panic in his voice.

 

“We have to stop her!!” Evie sobbed on the phone, dropping on her knees, like the air around her was squeezing her helpless body, making it hard to breathe and impossible to move. Jay heard the deafening sobs on the other side of the line, which meant that Evie was somewhat aware of what was going on. He tried his best to calm down before speaking again, worried sick for both his friends.

 

“ _E, breathe! Where are you? We’re picking you up!_ ” Jay asked, knowing that Evie was way more freaked out than they were.

 

“I’m next to my house.” Evie breathed out.

 

Jay didn’t even answer, he hung up and a few moments later he was on the spot helping Evie get on her feet and dragging her inside the car where the other three boys were already sitting.

 

“So, did you talk to Mal?” Jay asked carefully as he drove and watched his friend sob quietly in her seat.

 

Evie, without a word, played the voicemail for everyone to hear.

 

“Fuck, she’s really doing it.” Harry said, his voice unusually high pitched. Carlos had silent tears coming down his freckled face and Gil was way too nervous to stay still in his seat.

 

Evie collected herself enough to speak.

 

“What is she going to do?” Evie asked, terrified of what the answer could be.

 

Jay was the one to answer.

 

“She’s going to get rid of her magic.”

 

Evie stopped breathing. She knew enough about magic to know that was horribly dangerous.

 

“Oh Mal, what the fuck were you thinking!?” Evie whimpered.

 

Harry tapped Evie on the shoulder and whispered in her ear.

 

“ _She was thinking of ye princess._ ”

 

Evie didn’t have the words to describe the panic and the terror she was feeling right now. So, she stated the obvious, hanging on to the hope of getting to Mal in time to stop her.

 

“ **We have to find her**.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy y'all!
> 
> New chapter brought to you by moi on this fine summer day :D
> 
> As usual, thank you so much for all the support, it means the world to me!
> 
> There was no flashback this time, as I'm saving a big one for later and such but I hope you like it anyway haha
> 
> See you next chapter :) x


	6. Rotten to the Core

Evie’s desperation didn’t seem to have an end, as Mal was nowhere to be found. The group of friends scouted every possible place, even the ones that seemed unlikely and way too public for a teenage girl to be doing any kind of supernatural activity.

 

They also went back to ask Jane if she knew anything. Unfortunately, the girl was just as in the dark as they were and even called her mother, trying her best to help out. Unfortunately, Jane’s mother was also a dead end.

 

“We’ll never find her!” Gil groaned.

 

“We can’t just give up!” Jay protested. Jay was sweating so much, half of his tank top was completely soaked.

 

“We have to find her! She has to be somewhere!” Carlos fiercely backed up.

 

All of Evie’s friends were masking their fear with determination but she couldn’t. She was feeling scared, angry, frustrated. A soon as Jay stopped the car, she unbuckled the seat belt angrily.

 

“Maybe if you weren’t so focused on keeping shit from me you would’ve seen this coming! This is all your fault!”

 

And then, Evie simply got out of the car and slammed the door as hard as she could, a sob breaking through as soon as the metallic sound echoed.

 

The boys all felt the weight of their guilty conscience as they watched as Evie sat on a stone wall and how she covered her face with her hands as her elbows rested on her thighs. It was absolutely unbearable to watch Evie lost, defeated, hopeless when she was the one who usually kept everyone on a more positive note. Jay was getting ready to leave his seat when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Let me try.”

 

It was Harry.

 

“Are you sure man?” Jay asked, unsure.

 

“She’s pissed at all of us, remember? But she’s way more pissed at ye,” Harry pointed to Jay and Carlos. “Than she is at me.”

 

Jay huffed in his seat as Harry had a fair point. Harry and Gil weren’t as close to Evie as he and Carlos were, so the betrayal didn’t seem so big with them. He looked at Carlos, who nodded in agreement.

 

“Fine.” Jay gave in and turned around to face Harry. “But please, be gentle.”

 

Harry couldn’t help the little smile that was threatening to show on his features upon hearing Jay’s protective tone. If Jay only knew that Harry knew more about Evie than he thought.

 

Harry got out of the car and walked to the spot where Evie was sitting.

 

“Mind if I join ye?” He asked in a whisper, loud enough for her to hear but not too loud that it would startle the already distressed girl.

 

Evie gave him no verbal answer but she definitely heard him. Non-verbal communication became something he was very comfortable with, which is what happens when you’re friends with someone like Mal.

 

Evie felt the boy carefully hopping on the wall, sitting next to her but making sure he was out of her personal space. And then, unlike what Evie thought, he said nothing.

 

Harry knew that Evie, when distressed didn’t like to be touched and the only person she allowed on her personal bubble was Mal. Harry knew this, coming from Mal herself. He also knew he, as a friend, was to wait it out until Evie spoke, or gave him permission to initiate a conversation. Anything else wouldn’t work.

 

“Why are you here?” Evie gave in, taking her hands off her face so she could see the boy, exhaling tiredly.

 

“I didn’t want ye to be alone.” Harry calmly answered.

 

Evie scoffed.

 

“It’s not like you ever cared much.”

 

Harry didn’t answer right away, because Evie’s feelings were valid. They were never that close and he knew that deep down, Evie was just being protective of Mal. Evie at first was not a big fan of Mal and Harry’s friendship and Harry could understand why. Maybe this conversation was going to be harder than he thought.

 

“I know yer mad and ye have every right to be.” Harry sighted.

 

“You know what? Yes, I am. Because I’ve been lied to by my friends, the girl I love is missing and probably in danger! I can’t believe not **one** of you stopped to think that maybe she was going to do something reckless!” Evie said with cracks in her voice, her tears threatening to come out.

 

Harry said nothing. There was no point in belittling Evie’s anger by giving explanations or excuses as to why no one saw this coming, because she was right, wasn’t she? Five people and not one of them could predict that Mal’s plan B was to get rid of her magical powers or that she would pay any price for it. But at the same time, it was no one’s fault. Mal had a plan, she knew how to keep a secret and she was as stubborn as they come.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything!? Why aren’t you defending yourself!? Fight back!” Evie pushed and punched Harry’s arm while screaming the words that were filled with accusation. How could they let Mal get away with something like this? Evie knew her emotions were getting the best of her, that Harry and the boys weren’t really as guilty as she was making them to be, but the fear was eating her away.

 

Seeing that Harry merely looked at her with an understanding expression, she punched his arm again and again with both fists as strongly as she could. Harry let it happen. Evie needed it, she needed to let her anger out and he felt that she didn’t do it often. Perhaps she had never done it before. Harry felt the familiar sensation of his muscle becoming sore but he didn’t even flinch. She finally gave in, resting her forehead on Harry’s bicep and letting out a choked sob that was trapped in her throat. Harry shifted gently so he could face her and Evie buried her face in his chest, her cries muffled by Harry’s shirt. He slowly let his arms rest on her back, softly holding her close, letting her know he was there. Harry wasn’t crying, but he couldn’t possibly tell you how scared he was, so he also couldn’t possibly imagine how scared Evie was.

 

“We’re goin’ to find her. In time.” Harry told her, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. It was possible that he was also reassuring himself.

 

Evie shifted and Harry gave her back her space by letting go. She lifted her head and looked at Harry’s white shirt now stained with tears, black like her mascara and gave him a sheepish look. Evie felt ashamed for taking it all on him and for thinking he was indifferent to her. He understood her silent apology and shrugged.

 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a shirt.”

 

“I’m sorry I lashed out on you.” Evie spoke, her voice raw from all the crying.

 

“Not my first rodeo.” Harry half laughed. “And not nearly as aggressive as the ones before.”

 

Evie tilted her head in confusion. A habit Harry knew she had.

 

“Mal is not the passive type. She lashed out a lot. Ye know, after the break up.” Harry explained. Evie sucked in a breath at the mention of Mal’s name.

 

Evie wondered just how much Harry cared for Mal. Enough to endure Mal at her absolute worst, it seemed. He wasn’t in Mal’s life to feel at peace with himself for the mistake he made, he was there because he truly found himself caring for Mal, like she was his little sister. Again, Evie felt the embarrassment of being wrong about the boy standing next to her, clearly trying to help. Harry seemed to know exactly what she was about to ask next because his thick accent was heard again.

 

“It wasn’t just with me. But Jay and Carlos never experienced a break up. She felt like she needed another angle, from someone who actually understood and not just sympathized, and that’s why she came to me. We were friends before, like ye know but then we sort of bonded a little more. It just happened.” Harry explained.

 

Evie nodded slowly.

 

“It’s funny ye know? The first time we ever spoke as friends was right here.” Harry continued, a soft little smile appearing on his tired yet still attractive features.

 

“That’s why we’re here?” Evie asked. Not judgmental, just curious.

 

“Ay. We’ve been searching in places that Mal would have an emotional attachment to, right?” Harry asked, looking up.

 

Evie swallowed her pride.

 

“I’m sorry I was never very supportive of your friendship with Mal. I just—”

 

“Ye were trying to protect her. I get it.” Harry nodded. “That what she said.”

 

“She said that to you?” Evie asked, a little surprised.

 

Harry chuckled lightly.

 

“She said a lot of things to me. And they were all about how much she loved and missed ye.”

 

Evie felt her eyes burning again as she digested Harry’s words.

 

“She really loves ye. She might be doing something irrational and dangerous, but she’s doing it out of love.”

 

“It’s stupid. I never wanted for her to change or to die for me. I just wanted things to go back to the way they were.” Evie whispered, heartbroken.

 

Harry sighted.

 

“Mal wanted that too. She always went on about how much she missed the last night at the beach house because it was the beginning and everything was simple.” Harry told Evie.

 

Evie was about to agree with Harry when it finally clicked.

 

“…Oh my god. I’m so stupid!” Evie’s almost screamed while hopping from the wall looking for Jay’s car.

 

Harry gave her a confused look and Evie grabbed his arms, shaking them as she spoke.

 

“Harry, **the beach house**!”

 

Harry’s eyes widened in realization and he hopped from the wall as well, grabbing Evie’s hand while they ran back to the car. Jay was startled to see them out of breath and clumsily getting in. Carlos almost jumped in his seat and Gil studied Harry’s expression, with a hint of a smile. He knew his best friend all too well.

 

“What the fuck?”

 

“ **Drive!** ” Harry yelled.

 

“They know where she is. Ask questions later!” Gil said from the backseat.

 

Jay pressed the accelerator while still looking at Harry and Evie told him where to go.

 

They had to make it in time.

 

 

//

 

 

“How long is that going to take? We’ve been here for hours!” Mal groaned.

 

Uma rolled her eyes at Mal because her hands were occupied with her mother’s magical sea shell.

 

“These things take time! I’m gathering the necessary amount of energy for the spell to work. Shut the fuck up and hold on a little longer.” Uma replied with a hint of annoyance.

 

Mal rolled on the grass with an impatient growl, wondering if Evie had heard her message. It shouldn’t matter, should it? There was no changing Mal’s mind. Or was she just expecting Evie to show up and stop her? Was that what her heart really thought about when she recorded that message and sent it?

 

But Evie wasn’t there.

 

“It’s ready.” Uma called.

 

No, she wasn’t. And it was probably for the best.

 

“Finally.” Mal protested, getting up.

 

Mal watched as the sea shell was now floating in between Uma’s steady hands with a blueish glow.

 

Mal got closer.

 

“What am I supposed to do?”

 

“You just need to touch it and hold it long enough for the spell to do the job. The magic of the shell is going to course through your body so I can’t promise you’ll be painless. If you don’t hold it long enough, the spell won’t work.” Uma explained. “I can’t hold this for a long time so I suggest you get on with it.”

 

Mal heard Uma carefully and her heart started to pound viciously in her chest. She wanted to make things right but the fear of what the outcome could be kicked in.

 

“If you don’t want to do it, just say the word Mal. It’s ok if you want to back out.” Uma said. Uma was secretly hoping she would.

 

But Mal had one emotion that trampled all the others. And it was her love for Evie. So, Mal slowly and carefully rose her hand. She was almost there.

 

“ _Mal! Stop!_ ”

 

Mal froze, her hand barely above the shell.

 

 _‘Thank fuck.’_ Uma thought.

 

Mal saw Evie who now stood, breathless right in front of her. With Harry, Jay, Carlos and Gil behind her.

 

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Mal breathed out while her heart couldn’t choose between being scared or relieved that Evie was there. No one dared to speak.

 

Evie took her phone out of her pocket and threw it on the floor.

 

“Next time you have a death wish, try not to tell anyone!” Evie yelled angry and hurt.

 

“I’m trying to fix things! For you!” Mal protested. Her eyes were burning. She just didn’t know the reason.

 

Evie stepped closer with her eyes full of tears. Mal swallowed her guilt as she saw the horror plastered all over Evie’s face.

 

“I never asked for that! Stop making selfish and stupid decisions all by yourself! I just wanted you to come back to me!”

 

Mal flinched as Evie took another step.

 

“I love you M. Don’t you love me?” Evie asked in a whisper.

 

Mal bit the inside of her lip until she could feel the taste of blood.

 

“Fuck, of course I love you E. What kind of question is that?”

 

Evie took another step and Mal didn’t seem to notice.

 

“Then why did you think that giving your life was a good idea!? What about everyone that you would be leaving behind? Jay? Carlos? Gil? Harry? **Me**? Did you stop to think about how we would feel without you?”

 

Mal didn’t know how but Evie was already right next to her. And yet again, she was right. Mal was being selfish. A coward. If she died, she would leave every single person that cared for her an absolute mess.

 

“You don’t have to do this.” Evie said, barely over a whisper. “Take my hand.”

 

Evie watched as a scared Mal weighted her words. Mal’s green eyes darted to Evie’s torso, then back to her face in a split second. Evie backed out a little and took off her jacket, throwing it on the floor, leaving her with a short crop top. Everyone gasped. The thick scar was there all over Evie’s tanned skin and the marks of the dragon scales that went all the way up to Evie’s ribs were also visible.

 

Mal almost threw up at the sight of the damage on Evie’s skin. The damage **she** had done.

 

“You think I stopped showing off my body because I was disgusted by it. I only hid it to protect you. How was I supposed to explain how I got such a unique scar? I was afraid to mess up and put you in danger of being hunted down for your magic. I was afraid word would spread out and somehow reach your mother’s ears.” Evie’s lip quivered and Mal’s little sob made Evie’s heart jump out of her chest. “I couldn’t care less about what others might think. And no scar would ever stop me from loving you.”

 

Mal felt her legs trembling and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

“I can’t hold this for much longer!” Uma warned, sweat dripping from her temples while she struggled to hold the shell and the spell together. Mal ignored her.

 

“How? How can you love me still? How can you love me like this? How can you love…this _thing_?” Mal asked, terrified of the answer. The mix of emotions made Mal’s hands sparkle and she hid them away, shaking.

 

“Mal, that _thing_ is also the one that lit a candle when I most needed one. That thing was the one that gave me the most magical night, right here on this house. That thing lit up all the candles you left in my dorm for my birthday. That thing isn’t a thing. It’s you M. The girl I love.” Evie protested fiercely, ignoring the sparkles by stepping closer.

 

“Evie...”

 

“Take my hand.”

 

“Don’t.” Mal warned as Evie got impossibly closer.

 

“Just do it.”

 

Mal opened her mouth to protest but no words came out as Evie got there first and grabbed Mal’s hand. Both felt the familiar tingling of the world around them fading out as a new display was now in front of them.

 

 

\--

 

 

_“E, it’s happening again!” Mal whimpered as fear invaded her body. Her hands were shaking and fiery sparkles were darting all over the place._

_“Breathe M. You can control it.” Evie calmly but firmly said._

_Mal’s eyes rested on Evie’s and she knew that Mal was no longer staring back at her. The green of Mal’s eyes adopted a different shade. It wasn’t the natural green or the vivid green Evie was used to. No, Mal’s eyes were now a bleak, darker, poisonous shade of green. Evie was staring at the dragon but for some reason, she wasn’t scared._

_Mal then bent over and groaned, in pain. Evie could only watch as smoke came out of Mal’s nostrils, as Mal’s nails grew and became tiny but sharp claws, as some parts of her body filled with scales of a toxic shade of purple and as a tail and a set of wings grew on her back. That half shift wasn’t nearly as big as Evie imagined a dragon would be but she was sure it was just as dangerous._

_Mal breathed heavily and loudly._

_“Mal! I know you’re still in there! Fight it! Get it out of your head! Mal! Listen to my voice!” Evie raised her voice and stepped closer, fearless and against her every rational thought that pleaded for her to run as fast as she possibly could._

_It wasn’t the first time this was happening and Evie had managed to help Mal through it every time. This one was a little worse but Evie was confident._

_But Evie forgot that the eyes that were staring at her had a desire for chaos and freedom. Evie forgot that in that specific moment, that wasn’t Mal._

_That’s when the dragon’s tail got out of its comfortable place and charged at full speed and full strength. Evie wasn’t fast enough to block the attack and she felt it all at once. The ginormous impact on her ribs, her flesh being ripped out, despite the fact that she was wearing clothes, and the intense burning sensation that spread through her torso, from the impact and the blood that was now soaking her clothes._

_It was both incredible and terrifying how a miniature of the real dragon could do this much damage._

_She wanted to scream for Mal. Evie knew Mal would never hurt her intentionally. But she couldn’t say a word. Her energy was fading away really fast and her sight was blurry. Evie feels herself passing out from the bleeding and the pain of her ribs, most likely broken, being her name the last thing she hears, like a weak echo at the end of a tunnel. But she wasn’t sure if it was real or not._

_Present Evie, who now had the full picture, knew it was real though. Mal had returned to her senses and called her name in distress._

_Everything faded._

_\--_

 

Evie opened her eyes. They were back at the beach house and it was like no time had passed.

 

“I told you to stop.” Mal whimpered.

 

Evie looked at Mal and realized she was looking more horrified than ever.

 

“I didn’t want to see it.” Mal continued, barely holding herself together.

 

“Mal…It wasn’t your fault.” Evie soothed her.

 

But Mal wasn’t listening. All she could hear were the voices in her head that told her how much of a disaster she was.

 

They wouldn’t stop. It started as a whisper, then whisper turned to talking and talking turned to screams.

 

So, before anyone could say anything, Mal grabbed the shell.

 

“No! Mal!” Evie screamed at the exact same time.

 

 

\--

 

 

Mal opened her eyes and for a second there, she thought she went blind because everything was dark. She got up fiddling around with her hands and her feet until she touched a cold stone wall. That couldn't be right.

 

She huffed as her eyes started to adapt to the new situation. She had night vision and was half fairy, being scared of suddenly being blind had been irrational.

 

But the fear that settled on her belly after realizing she was in a cave god knows where, all alone wasn't irrational at all. How could that be? She was at the beach house a second ago. Was she dead? Was this her journey to the land of the deceased? Or was she somewhere else? She couldn't tell and the thought scared her.

 

Mal couldn't see where the cave started or where it ended. She felt a shiver down her spine and she couldn't tell if it was from the cold or something else.

 

Mal then started walking, trying to find an exit. Or anything really.

 

The cave was no ordinary one though, as a few steps in, Mal was blinded by flaming torches that were hanging on the walls. In fact, the torches offered poor lighting but Mal's night vision made it seem like the torches were a bunch of expensive chandeliers shinning and burning her eyes.

 

As soon as her eyes adjusted, again, Mal took one of the torches with her, just in case. It seemed like a one-way path and Mal really had no other option than to follow it.

 

Mal kept walking through the humid tunnel with nothing but the sound of the water dripping from the stone ceiling and the crackle of the torch flame as her company.

 

Until there was nowhere else to go. Mal reached the end of the tunnel, finding a big room, poorly illuminated. She held the torch harder and closer to her body and walked in small careful steps. As she reached the center of the room, that's when Mal saw it. The enormous cell door with rusty bars. No, not just rusty. They looked like they were worn out, like they were constantly being smacked.

 

Mal wasn’t keen on staying there any longer but a familiar guttural sound caught her attention.

 

“ _We meet at last_.”

 

The voice that was heard next was penetrant and gravelly and it sent shivers down Mal’s spine.

 

“What?” Mal whispered.

 

“ _Come closer Mal_.”

 

Mal didn’t recognize the voice but she would recognize that dark vibe anywhere. So, against her better judgment, she stepped closer to the iron bars and was met with a pair of huge glowing green orbs. But that couldn’t be, right?

 

“Come into the light.” Mal demanded.

 

With a growl of annoyance, Mal’s worst fear showed up right in front of her, only the cell door separating her from the humongous purple dragon that stood on the other side. Mal could feel the heat from the smoke that came calmly from the creature’s big nostrils and she could feel the hot putrid breath coming from its mouth.

 

“How can this be?” Mal breathed out the question, shaking from head to toe.

 

The dragon made another sound and Mal thought that if dragons could scoff, that would be it.

 

“ _You don’t even know? How pathetic.”_ The dragon grunted mockingly.

 

Mal really didn’t know. Whatever was happening, it was impossible.

 

“ _You’re in the deepest part of your subconscious. Which is **my** turf.” _

 

Mal immediately thought the worst.

 

“Am I—”

 

“ _Dead? No. I protected your body_.”

 

“Why would you do that?” Mal inquired, passing on her confusion. The dragon’s eyes showed pure annoyance.

 

“ _Because if you die, **I** die you reckless child!” _ The anger in its voice was clear as the entire room quaked, probably because the dragon hit a wall with its huge and powerful tail.

Mal flinched but managed to hold on to the torch _._

 

“ _You really thought I saved you out of the goodness of my heart? I can’t believe someone like you was born to host such a powerful magical creature like myself. You were given a gift by the one who birthed you and all you want to do is get rid of it so you can ride off into the sunset with **that** annoying girl._ ” The dragon’s bitter voice echoed in the room and it was horrifying. Everything about that scenario was pure terror and Mal wanted nothing more than for it to end.

 

But her rage was bubbling in her gut upon hearing those words. Her eyes were threatening to water but Mal was able to keep it together.

 

“You sick motherfucker! You almost killed her!” Mal yelled in anger.

 

The creature made a sound similar to a dry humorless laugh.

 

“ _Oh, but did I? Or did we?”_

 

Mal wanted to reply but every word she thought of got stuck in her throat.

 

“ _We are, unfortunately, bonded together. We are one. You’re just as responsible for my atrocities as I am for your disgusting habit of feeling emotions.”_

Mal felt her tears on her cheeks as her insides told her what she already knew. She was indeed a monster and she was indeed responsible for Evie’s injury and near-death experience.

 

She was defeated and was unable to protest. The dragon’s eyes twinkled with satisfaction.

 

“ _That’s right Mal. You are as much of a monster as I am. And here’s what you can do. You can leave this room and go back to being a weakling, carrying that guilt of yours for the rest of your life, because whatever you tried to get rid of me clearly didn’t work the way you wanted to or we wouldn’t be having this lovely, **lovely** conversation…or you can stay here and we both die to atone for our sins.”_

 

Mal was physically ruined as well, dropping on her knees, the torch hitting the floor with a thud.

 

“You saved me but now you are willing to die?” Mal forced herself to speak, her voice barely over a whisper.

 

“ _If you walk out of here, we’ll both live but I’ll keep on being a prisoner. Are you really living if you aren’t free?”_

 

Mal knew the answer was no.

 

“I never wanted this.” Mal whimpered.

 

“ _Me neither kid. Yet here we are.”_

 

Mal was aware that the dragon, her own mind, was manipulating her. Manipulating her soul to stay there. Sucking the last of her will to live.

 

Mal never wanted to die, but going back and having to face the immense guilt she was feeling? Having to stay away from Evie so she wouldn’t hurt her again? The agony was way too unbearable.

 

So, she hugged her knees close to her chest and leaned on the nearest iron bar.

 

A sob escaped her mouth as she tried to embrace the fact that she would never see Evie again. That her destiny was to rot in that cell with the monster that lived inside her forever. Alone and miserable.

 

“ _You are **rotten to the core** Mal. It’s about time you embrace it.” _ The dragon said with what Mal would consider a satisfied tone.

 

Mal didn’t want to embrace it. Mal wanted Evie. Mal wanted Evie more than she could express.

 

But Mal tends to forget that she should be careful with what she wishes for. She was greeted with another quake and the dragon shifted furiously on its cage.

 

“ _What have you done you stupid pixie!?”_

 

Mal lifted her head at the sound of her dragon’s rage ready to tell that infernal creature to **fuck off** only to be once again both relieved and terrified that the love of her life stood right there looking at the dragon right in the eye with the angriest expression Mal had ever seen on her.

 

“Evie? Is that really you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiyaaaa! So, here's a longer chapter to make up for taking a while to update!
> 
> I tried something new with this one and introduced something at the end of the chapter that wasn't a flashback but wasn't also 'happening in real life' so I hope it's not much of a mess hahaha
> 
> Anyways I hope you like it and I hope to hear from you soon!
> 
> See you next chapter :) x


	7. Cinders of the Soul

“ _What have you done!? What magic have you used!?_ ”

 

The dragon demanded again, furious.

 

Mal stood up immediately to face it.

 

“I didn’t do anything! **You’re** the source of my magic you fucking idiot!” Mal yelled back closing her fists in anger.

 

The Mal turned around to face Evie. She seemed just as confused as them, but she held a fire in her eyes that Mal had never seen on her. At first, she thought it was obviously related to the magical creature standing behind her, but when Evie stepped closer until she was face to face with Mal, the purple haired girl realized that fire and that anger were directed towards her.

 

Evie pushed Mal, who couldn’t fight back due to extreme exhaustion and she hit the iron bar, that she grabbed so she could stay on her feet.

 

“What the **hell** were you thinking!? Are you stupid!?” Evie yelled, her words filled with anger and hurt. Her raspy voice incorporated a haunting vibe from echoing in the dark room.

 

Mal had this huge sense of déjà vu, while glued to the cold iron and unable to say a word to an enraged Evie standing in front of her. Just like when Mal wanted to apologize back on the beach house. Where she thought they probably still were.

 

How was any of this possible? Was Evie even real or was she just a product of Mal’s own imagination? The dragon’s anger helped Mal realize that Evie was probably really there. But that wasn’t possible. Unless…

 

“What was I thinking!? What were **you** thinking!? You touched the fucking shell!!” Mal got her voice back, stepping away from the dragon’s cage and pushing Evie back.

 

“You touched it first! I tried to stop you! Then I woke up here!” Evie bitterly explained.

 

Mal huffed in anger until a terrifying thought invaded her mind.

 

“But if you touched it...Could that mean...? No, no, that can’t be!” Mal was now talking more to herself.

 

Before Evie could answer, the dragon growled behind them so it could get their attention. Mal turned around.

 

“ **What?** ” Mal dryly spat.

 

“ _Interesting_.” Was all the creature said, not in a good way. There was a hint of annoyance.

 

Evie looked at the dragon, paying real attention to it for the first time.

 

“What’s so interesting about the possibility of the love of my life being dead you lowlife?” Mal angrily pointed out.

 

Evie’s heart couldn’t help but kickstart upon hearing the words ‘love of my life’ coming from Mal’s lips knowing they were meant for her.

 

“ _She’s not dead you fool. That’s what’s interesting. She should be. That little stunt you pulled is not for non-magical creatures like humans to take on. Their bodies would never survive such a huge discharge of energy. It would fry their brains._ ” The dragon petulantly explained, puffs of smoke coming out of its nostrils.

 

Mal let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Evie wasn’t dead. That’s all it mattered to her.

 

“Stop talking like I’m not here.” Evie protested. Still she was interested in the dragon’s words. She wasn’t dead after all, like she initially thought. She knew it had been stupid to follow Mal’s actions. Evie wanted to stop Mal by grabbing her hands, but ended up touching the shell by accident.

 

“You shouldn’t be here Evie.” Mal pointed out crossing her arms.

 

“ _Finally, something we agree on kid._ ”

 

“ **Shut the fuck up**.” Mal spat.

 

But Evie was interested. Sure, she wanted to yell some more at Mal for being stupid, she wanted to talk to Mal about many things, but Evie couldn’t ignore what was right in front of her. Never in her wildest dreams she thought she’d ever get to see the core of Mal’s magical powers, a core she inherited from her mother. A core that apparently had a voice of its own. Evie stepped forward.

 

“Do you have a name?” Evie asked the creature. She saw how its eyes widened ever so slightly.

 

The dragon shifted in its cage and let out a growl that sounded like a sarcastic laugh. If dragons could laugh, that would be it. If Evie didn’t know any better, she’d say the winged creature was offended by such a question.

 

“ _A name!? You speak as if you were **deserving** of knowing my name. I do go by other colorful monikers that you might be familiar with_. _Isn’t that right Mal?”_

 

Mal looked between Evie and the dragon. Not even Mal knew its name and not once she stopped to think about it. Could that be, that this creature was way more than just Mal’s counterpart? That it had an identity of its own? Had a name of its own?

 

“ _Beast. Monster. Creature. This thing_.” The dragon listed in a casual tone that only made its voice even more gruesome. Or maybe it was the sudden hurt tone that came with those words. Unfortunately, Mal could relate. She used those words to describe the creature that lived inside her. Mal realized she had been describing herself all along.

 

“I, uh, didn’t know you had a name.” Mal admitted.

 

“ _Of course you didn’t_. _You didn’t because you never even cared.”_

 

Both Mal and Evie heard it. The pain. The pain the dragon had been masking with rude remarks, poorly made decisions and a scary attitude.

 

“ _You want to know something Mal? I didn’t just show up in your life. I was born the moment you came to this world. I grew up with you. I waited patiently for you to finally break through the barriers of normal and unleash your potential. You want to know why you’re a late bloomer Mal? Why you never showed magical powers at the age your mother expected? Because you’re half fairy. Your father was human._ ”

 

Evie gasped in light of this new information and shared a worried look with a rather emotional Mal, who seemed to not know about this either. Mal never once spoke of her father. And that was because Mal knew a total of zero things about him. She never met him.

 

“You...know about him?” Mal weakly asked. Mal always hated him for not caring about her enough to stay. But the thought of knowing any shred of information about him was making her very emotional. Why did she wanted to know things about a man who never loved her?

 

“ _You’d be surprised with what magical creatures know_. _I do know about your father_. _But I believe I was telling a tale_.”

 

Evie felt Mal’s hand in hers. A shaky hand looking for comfort. Evie didn’t care that she was mad at her and didn’t hesitate in holding Mal’s hand protectively as the dragon kept talking.

 

“ _Like I was saying, I waited. Until one day you made it. You realized you had it in you and I was finally able to aid you. Spells came easy to you. I was so excited, happy even. Because you enjoyed it, you liked how magic made you feel. Because I liked the way you saw the world. You were feisty, fiery and always ready for some chaos. I couldn’t wait until you reached the final stage, the final change in your still magical body. The stage that would allow me to show you the full spectrum of your power. **Our** power_.” The dragon continued, with a dash of nostalgia and bitterness in its powerful voice.

 

Mal, never taking her eyes off the magical being, held on tighter to Evie’s hand, guessing what would come next.

 

“ _So, when your body was finally ready, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait any longer and gave you a taste of the new things you could do. I was expecting you to react just like you did a few years ago. I couldn’t wait to see the glow in your eyes, the hunger for more. But instead, you were absolutely terrified. I tried multiple times to show you that you had nothing to be afraid of. That it was just me, like it had always been. You and me, doing magic. But you sunk so deep into your own fear that I could do what I wanted whenever I wanted and that same fear was the one that trapped me in here, in this cage.”_

 

Mal opened her mouth, unsure of what she was going to say but the dragon wasn’t finished and huffed, making sure the silence in the room was preserved.

 

“ _I was beyond surprised. That you would cower like this. That wasn’t the Mal I knew. I didn’t understand. I have the ability of feeling everything you feel. I know you like magic. No, you don’t just like magic, you **love** it. That was until I realized something deeper ran through you, through me. You love magic, but there’s something you love more. Or, should I say, someone?” _

 

The dragon’s great green orbs flickered into Evie’s direction just for a tiny second. Mal immediately took a step forward, her body slightly in front of Evie’s. Evie almost forgot how to breathe.

 

“ _Oh yes, there it is. That passion, that feeling that burns our insides like lava. That’s when I finally understood your wave of terror. I expected you to look deeper into it, I expected you to want to know me, to understand me, to talk to me and realize there was nothing to be afraid of. But as soon as you found out that I was here, you **fucking** turned on me. You insulted me, you nurtured your hatred for me. A hate I can still feel in my bones, under my hard scales. You hated me already and I had done nothing wrong_.”

 

Things were making more and more sense as the dragon’s misery came through the story it was telling. It looked at Evie once more, silently adding ‘because of you’ at the end of its previous sentence.

 

“Don’t you dare make me pity you after what you did.” Mal growled through her teeth.

 

The dragon roared, making the entire room shake.

 

“ _It was an impossible burden to bear! All this hatred! I couldn’t take it anymore!_ ”

 

“Cool motive, still almost murder.” Mal pointed out while she trembled in anger. She also hoped the dragon realized she was being sarcastic about the whole ‘cool motive’ thing.

 

“Mal?” Evie tried.

 

Mal looked at Evie. Evie pushed her away from the cage just for a moment.

 

“It doesn’t excuse its actions, but think of this: Your dragon is caged with nothing but negative thoughts and hatred. It was bound to go insane at some point. It’s like being in Azkaban and you’re the dementor. And I think this dragon was thrown in Azkaban when it was innocent.” Evie feared Mal would turn on her. But no such thing happened.

 

Mal seemed deeply lost in Evie’s perfect analogy which used one of their favorite sagas and looked between them and the dragon. Mal huffed. It was infuriating just how many times Evie could be right about something.

 

“How can you be so understanding? After what happened?” Mal whispered.

 

“It’s like I said, I don’t excuse what the dragon did to me. But maybe I understand because I know what’s like to be trapped in a dark place with nothing but your thoughts and feeling the hatred coming from someone else. It’s easy to lose yourself.” Evie whispered back. Mal felt like she was punched in the gut and let go of Evie’s hand.

 

“M, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to—”

 

“Don’t. I deserve it.” Mal cut her off with a shaky voice.

 

Then Mal came back to the cage and crossed her arms, encouraging the dragon to keep talking. Evie followed, stopping right behind Mal.

 

The dragon took the hint.

 

“ _Anyways, I took the matter into my own hands. Thanks to your uncontrollable fear, I could manifest myself whenever I wanted. Despite what you might think, I’m not a murderer. Magical creatures who live in a partnership are not allowed to kill unless they both agree on it. I never once intended to kill anyone. I just wanted your hatred to shift from me to you. If I succeeded you’d most certainly blame yourself. Which you did. You still hated me, but you hated yourself more. It became easier to breathe inside this cage. It’s not pretty but it worked. It’s nothing personal princess._ ” The dragon gave Evie a look and sighted, a cloud of smoke leaving its mouth.

 

“ _Also, I wanted you to taste a little bit of your own medicine. How does it feel like to live with such a huge amount of hatred over your head Mal? Hurts like a bitch doesn’t it?_ ”

 

Mal felt dizzy. She needed to hold on to something or she would probably pass out. Evie knew Mal all too well and made sure she had an arm around Mal’s waist, tightening the grip to keep Mal on her feet.

 

Mal knew it now. All of this? Her fault. And she had no idea of how to fix it. Things were coming to her, realization being one of them. The answers she so intensely sought were right in front of her and had been this entire time.

 

“ _You’re oddly quiet Mal. What’s wrong? Did—"_

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

The dragon stopped on its tracks when Mal interrupted whatever insult was coming from its mouth with an apology.

 

“ _What?_ ”

 

“I said I’m sorry.” Mal repeated. “I’m sorry to both of you.” Mal shared a look with Evie who looked surprised at Mal’s sudden change of attitude.

 

Maybe there wasn’t any way of fixing this, but there was an opportunity to apologize. And an opportunity to open her heart. And Mal took both of them.

 

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I failed to see you both for what you really are.” Mal first turned to the dragon.

 

“You. I don’t even know your name. It never crossed my mind that you could even have one. It never once crossed my mind that you could have feelings of your own. I never once thought that maybe I could talk to you, instead of trying to get rid of you. I wanted to talk big and say that I did it all for the sake of someone else and it’s not a complete lie, she’s right here next to me and I’m done keeping things from her,” Mal felt Evie’s hand caressing her skin under her shirt.

 

How this girl could still be so loving and so understanding even after everything she went through, Mal could not understand. It made her cry; just how genuinely good Evie was. Tears escaped her green eyes.

 

The dragon scooted closer, like it couldn’t believe what it was hearing.

 

“But I was mostly thinking of the consequences it would have on myself really. The moment I realized that I could lose the very few people that somehow want me in their lives, I spiraled. I spent my whole life alone and unwanted, abandoned by the two people that should’ve loved me the most. It’s not a good thing, but I can’t help but to be selfish. But you already knew all of that, didn’t you? You just wanted to hear me say it.”

 

Mal gave the dragon a sad smile and watched as its eyes glowed. Evie watched the interaction, mesmerized at how, out of the blue, the dragon no longer inspired fear.

 

“You feel everything I feel. Just like I also feel what you feel. I was just to focused on myself to think about what you were feeling. And the truth is, I should've been more considerate. Not just now but ever since I got my powers. I got them and never once I cared to find out exactly how I had them. Because you're not just my dragon. We are a team, aren't we?" Mal looked right into the dragon's eyes and for the first time, saw how beautiful they were and how brightly they shone.

 

For the very first time she saw the glow that shone in her own eyes whenever she did magic. The glow that belonged to **her** dragon.

 

Evie saw it too. It was marvelous.

 

“ _You…”_

 

Mal smiled.

 

“Wait. I’m not done yet.” She said holding a hand.

 

The dragon nodded.

 

“You also made me realize…no, not realize, but accept. I am indeed both.” Mal declared, stepping closer to the dragon.

 

“ _You are… both?_ ” The dragon repeated.

 

“Yes. I am Mal, the girl and I am you, the dragon. You accused me of being every bit of the monster you are. And you’re right. This right here? It’s **our** mistake. I didn’t want to admit it, I wanted to run as fast as my legs allowed, like the coward I always have been, if that meant avoiding this topic. And you? You did the same. You felt all my emotions and fought them with fire, claws and roars. Just as long as it stopped hurting, you’d do anything.”

 

There was a pause.

 

“But you are you, the dragon and you’re also Mal, the girl. We both desperately wanted to give up one to be just the other when that wasn’t the answer. Now I understand what Uma meant by losing myself to this spell. We’d both lose ourselves. Our victories, our pain, our scars, they make us who we are. I wouldn’t give you up to just be Mal and now I hope you wouldn’t give me up to just be you. Because we are both. And that’s how it should be.” Mal took a deep breath.

 

Mal had known this all along, yet only now she really **knew**. She had never spoken out loud so much about what truly was in her heart and she wasn’t just doing it for the sake of herself and the dragon.

 

The dragon’s head was now glued to the iron bars. Mal meant every single word, there was no denying it. The dragon felt acceptance for the first time and it warmed its surprisingly cold heart giving it a shred of hope. For all of them.

 

“ _Well said kid. You’ve shown great strength and courage in opening your heart like this. I wish I could’ve done the same.”_

 

“You still can.” Mal smiled and she was sure she was being smiled back even though dragons couldn’t physically smile.

 

“ _I guess I can_.” The dragon genuinely agreed. Suddenly its voice was no longer something out of a horror movie. Slowly, its true self was being revealed and Mal couldn’t wait to get to know more.

 

“ _One more thing: It’s Kaida. My name is Kaida_.”

 

Mal flashed a smile to the dragon and held her arm up.

 

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Kaida.”

 

Kaida moved her tail from where it rested until its tip reached Mal’s tiny hand so she could shake it.

 

Then Mal turned around and felt way more scared for this next part of the conversation than she ever did about the first.

 

“We’re a fucking mess. We made a huge mistake. I think it’s about time we fixed it.” Mal stated looking at Evie, who was now the focus of both Mal and Kaida.

 

“ _Indeed_.”

 

Mal walked up to Evie with tears in her eyes.

 

“Evie…”

 

“You don’t need to say anything.” Evie shook her head but Mal payed no mind to it.

 

“I know you’re angry. I know you’re hurt. Lay it on me.” Mal asked.

 

Mal was right. Evie was angry and hurt, very much so. But Evie just wanted to go home with Mal.

 

“I just…really want to go home.” Evie confessed in a whisper but her eyes were threatening to burn.

 

“E, we can’t keep doing this whole thing of not talking and not expressing our feelings. Look at the mess I made.” Mal insisted, stepping in closer.

 

“ _We made_.” Kaida corrected from the back.

 

“Please. Me apologizing isn’t and will never be enough.”

 

“Punishing you isn’t the answer.” Evie protested a little louder. Mal was easily getting what she wanted. She just needed to push Evie a little further and she’d let it all out.

 

“But I deserve it.” Mal pushed. Kaida understood what Mal wanted right away. Evie wasn’t explosive like Mal and would often keep the blast inside herself, afraid she’d harm others, afraid of people leaving her.

 

“ _We’re monsters Evie. We hurt you in unspeakable ways. We deserve your anger and your hate_.” Kaida swiftly lend Mal a hand (or a paw). Mal had to force her guilty expression as a smile was trying to break through. They made a good a team indeed.

 

They could both see Evie slowly starting to combust, her hands closing into fists, her breathing was becoming unsteady. Almost there. Mal did the final push.

 

“Kaida’s right. We are so unworthy—"

 

“ **Stop!** ”

 

‘Here we go’.

 

Evie grabbed Mal’s arms. She was shaking.

 

“ **You**. **Are**. **So**. **Stupid** **Mal Bertha**!” Evie yelled, punching Mal’s shoulders with each word and looking down. Evie’s hands then travelled to the collar of Mal’s jacket and Evie’s eyes found Mal’s. They were full of tears. Mal felt her entire world crumbling.

 

“Damn it Mal! What the hell were you thinking!? Do you know how I felt for the past six months!? Keeping this from me! All of you actually! And then you were just gone! I searched everywhere for you! Then I thought I was getting to you, that we could finally go home together and you…you fucking… I-I thought I’d lost you!! Did you even think about that!?” Evie trembled with all the anger and hurt she had stored up until now.

 

Evie turned to Kaida.

 

“And **you**!! You’re also a fucking idiot!! Obviously, I’m not happy that you fucking scarred me but why would you ever make Mal hate herself this much!? Are you smoking pixie dust or some shit!? What the hell were you thinking!? God, both of you!!”

 

Truly, it was heartbreaking. Evie choked on her words trying to quell her sobs while screaming in Mal’s face and making that huge dragon feel so incredibly small. Then with gritted teeth Evie just collapsed in Mal’s arms, her deafening cries echoing in the dark room as she sobbed uncontrollably.

 

“I don’t care what happens next. Just don’t you fucking dare to ever scare me like this again.” Evie whimpered.

 

Mal held a sad smile. Now it was really the right time. Mal’s arms travelled swiftly to hold Evie protectively.

 

“I know it’s not enough, but I am so incredibly sorry for putting you through all of this. I hope that you believe me when I tell you, all I ever wanted was to protect you. All we ever wanted was to protect you.” Mal softly said to a still whimpering Evie who buried her face in Mal’s neck and refused to look her in the eye, for now.

 

“I really thought I was doing the right thing, not having you involved so you wouldn’t get hurt. Instead, I ended up hurting you even more. What you’re feeling now? That’s how I felt when I saw you bleeding on the floor, knowing your life was seriously in danger. I thought I’d lost you too. And that thought was absolutely unbearable. I know we have a lot of talking to do after this, but for now, let me tell you something a little nicer for a change.” Mal stroke Evie’s hair slowly in an attempt to calm her down a little.

 

Kaida watched silently as the two interacted, impressed.

 

Mal hated to see Evie like that, but if they were to really pick up the ashes of their relationship and make something out of it, it was needed. Mal needed to let go of her habit of doing things by herself and Evie needed to let go of her fear of pushing away people if she talked too much.

 

“Do you remember the day we first met?” Mal asked.

 

Evie nodded.

 

“Good. Then I want to show you something if that’s ok.”

 

Evie slowly lifted her head to look at Mal. Her eyes were bloodshot but Mal still thought Evie was the most beautiful girl alive.

 

Evie nodded again, trying to wipe her tears away.

 

“Kaida, would you please lend me a paw?”

 

Kaida made a sound similar to a cackle.

 

“ _Sure thing kid_.”

 

Mal held out a hand. Evie already knew what it meant and took Mal’s hand, waiting for the memory to flood her mind.

 

 

\--

 

 

_“You’re so grown up Mal!” the ice cream shop clerk chirped from the balcony with a sweet smile as a 5-year-old Mal flashed a dashing smile back._

_“Which one do you want child?” Mal’s mother asked a little too impatient for anyone’s taste really. Everyone was used to it though._

_Mal looked at all the colorful ice creams. They all looked delicious, but Mal’s sweet tooth had only one preference._

_“Stwabewy!” Mal answered with a giddy smile, pointing to the pink one with the carefully sliced strawberries on top._

 

_Maleficent sighted. It was always the same one. Even when new flavors like chocolate chip cookies or mint arrived, Mal would still want the strawberry one. It was like her child was uncreative and overall not that adventurous._

_As the clerk winked at Mal and started preparing her ice cream the bell on the door rang and two other people stepped in._

_Maleficent’s usual annoyed face twisted into a rather hostile one as the woman paraded through the shop holding her daughter’s hand._

_“Grimhilde.”_

_“Maleficent.”_

_Little Mal had been ignoring all of it, focused solely on the extra strawberries she saw the clerk slip on top of the ice cream, until she heard her mother’s voice. She turned around._

_Miss Grimhilde was a rather tall, beautiful woman who always walked around like she owned the town they lived in with way too much make up on and always wearing the newest and most expensive pieces of clothing. Not that Mother didn’t dress well. She just would stick to black clothing and not even half of the makeup products, because she thought all of it was silly and unnecessary._

_Mal knew they disliked each other but was too young to understand or care about the reason why. Instead, little Mal’s eyes looked over to Miss Grimhilde’s daughter who she had never seen before._

_The little girl, shyly half hidden behind her mother’s figure looked about Mal’s age with wavy blue locks, tanned skin and big brown eyes that scanned Mal. Mal thought she looked rather pretty and wanted to talk to her. She just didn’t know what to ask the girl._

_“Mal take your ice cream already.” Maleficent’s angry voice snapped her out of it and took Mal’s chance of asking the girl anything away. She knew better than to argue with Mother._

_“Yes Mother.” Mal shyly replied as the clerk left the balcony and handed her the ice cream cup with a wink. Mal smiled back and it showed her dimples._

_“Let’s go.” Maleficent grabbed Mal’s hand a little too aggressively and started dragging her out of the shop. Mal looked back as the clerk spoke to the little blue haired girl._

_“…Blueberry? Right away sweetie.” Mal could hear the clerk say. The little girl giggled excited and for some reason, Mal wanted to smile._

_But soon they were out of the shop and Maleficent was already telling Mal to go play in the park while she read her book._

_Mal had no choice but to choose a tree nearby to sit down, away from the hot sun light and eat her ice cream before it melted._

_After eating, Mal didn’t feel like playing. Mal didn’t play much, to be honest. She’d rather draw things she thought pretty. So, she took her sketch book from her purple back pack and started looking around for something to draw. Until her green eyes spotted something unusual in the middle of the grass. She got up to see it up close._

_A clover! With four leaves! Mal had never seen a clover with four leaves before. It was…so pretty! With an excited giggle, little Mal sat near the clover and started to draw._

\--

 

 

Evie opened her eyes to find Mal staring at her with an embarrassed but satisfied expression. Evie couldn’t help but let out a watery laugh.

 

“I can’t believe this...” Evie whispered.

 

“Yeah. When I first saw your necklace, I couldn’t believe it either. I thought life was out to get me again.” Mal confessed. “It’s funny how things work. You’ve always been my four-leaf clover. I just didn’t know it. I didn’t see you for what you really were. Even in my darkest moments, you were my light, my shred of luck. And I wish I could’ve done the same with you. I am **so sorry** , about everything.”

 

“ _I would also like to apologize for scarring you. There are no excuses for what I did. I wish I could’ve protected you instead_.” Kaida sheepishly added.

 

Evie shook her head. ‘These two **idiots** ’

 

“But you did. You both did. Mal, seeing you was the highlight of that day, not the ice cream. And whenever I need a little light, you’re always there to light up a candle and to make me feel safe. Whenever I feel sad, you’re both there to add a little sparkle to my life. That isn’t the work of a monster. It’s a work of magic.” Evie explained, her eyes filled with hope and light.

 

“Does that mean… I get another chance?” Mal asked scratching the back of her neck nervously.

 

Evie laughed and rested her arms around Mal’s shoulders, allowing their foreheads to touch. Mal’s hands immediately travelled to Evie’s waist.

 

“You’ve always had it you fool.” Evie whispered.

 

“ _If you kiss I’m going to throw up_.” Kaida faked a disgusted tone.

 

Mal gave Kaida the middle finger and without wasting another second, placed her lips on Evie’s. It felt like the ice cream shop from the memory exploded when their mouths touched. It was an explosion of sensations, emotions and flavors. It felt like the first time. If they wanted to describe it, they couldn’t. It was something only they could understand.

 

They smiled while kissing and giggled as their lips stopped touching.

 

“Fuck, I missed you.” Mal confessed with a sight.

 

“I missed you too dork.” Evie laughed in return.

 

“ _I think you’re ready to go home now_.” Kaida declared in a happy tone.

 

“But what about you? How do I open this cage? I don’t want you to be trapped anymore.” Mal stated.

 

Kaida, with a giddy huff, lightly pushed the iron door and it opened without a problem. Mal gasped.

 

“ _It’s been open for a while now. As soon as you opened your heart, the cage no longer served a purpose_.” Kaida explained.

 

“I have a question. How did I survive if I touched the shell?” Evie asked. Kaida wagged its tail like a puppy.

 

“ _Well, I had nothing to do with it. Mal’s love for you was what protected you_.” Kaida explained.

 

Mal and Evie looked at each other.

 

“You saved me.” Evie voiced out.

 

“I love you, E.” Mal replied shrugging thinking that no other reply felt right.

 

“I love you, M.” Evie gave Mal the happiest smile ever.

 

Mal beamed and her dimples showed. Evie clasped their hands together and smiled lovingly at Mal.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

But Mal stood still.

 

“Kaida?”

 

“ _Yes?_ ”

 

“Can you...you know…” Mal blurted out.

 

“ _I’ll tell you about your father another day kid. Now you need to go back_.” Kaida replied.

 

“But—”

 

“ _I’ll tell you one thing though. You father… **loved you very much**_.” Kaida wisely said.

 

Mal immediately choked on a sob and Evie held her tight. Her father loved her? Was it really possible?

 

“ _Take care of her. She can be very dumb sometimes_.” Kaida turned to Evie with a devilish glow on its green eyes.

 

“Hey!” Mal protested while wiping her eyes and Evie giggled as she pressed a gentle kiss on Mal’s forehead.

 

“I will. **Always**.” Evie promised. Mal felt her heart warm and wondered yet again how the hell did she get so lucky.

 

Mal then collected herself.

 

“Thank you Kaida. E, let’s go home.”

 

Evie flashed her a smile and holding hands, they stepped out of the room, leaving Kaida to occupy it.

 

The floor was filled with ashes. Kaida used its tail to clean it up, thinking of how that resembled what had just happened inside that room. That they all cleaned up the ashes inside their souls.

 

“ _Who knew **beauty could come out of ashes**?_ ” Kaida wondered, fascinated by the two young women who just left the room.

 

 

Who knew indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEHEY YES I'M STILL HERE!!
> 
> I'm so sorry I took so long to update but the last two weeks of August were chaotic at best so I really didn't write a word for that long. But I'm here now! With a chapter that is longer than any other I've written. There's like, a lot of dialogue, but that's the point. Because these fools don't ever TALK things out like they should skdfkshd also cute flashback haha
> 
> I really hope this makes up for the slow update and I hope to hear from you soon.
> 
> See you next chapter :) x
> 
> (P.S: For the curious ones, "Kaida" means "small dragon" in Japanese)


	8. History

Mal and Evie woke up and realized they were lying on the grass, next to each other like no time had passed at all since they touched the shell.

 

It was all very confusing. They could hear their friends crying, calling their names and yelling in relief that both girls were alive and awake.

 

Harry and Carlos were full on sobbing while Gil was trying to calm them down.

 

Uma was in the process of recovering, from the scare and the spell with a blank stare on her face, like she couldn’t believe they actually made it out alive.

 

Jay had silent tears running down his face.

 

And all of them couldn’t wait to hug their friends.

 

However, the first thing Mal and Evie did was to hold each other, like nothing else mattered in the world. They completely zoned out from the uproar around them and focused solely on one another.

 

Evie’s hand went to the back of Mal’s neck and pulled their foreheads together. Mal cupped Evie’s cheeks with her hands. They held on to the warmth of the other’s touch, making sure it was real.

 

“You found me.” Mal breathed out.

 

“Did you ever doubt I would?” Evie laughed with tears in her eyes.

 

“Not really, because you’re impossible.” Mal pointed out.

“And you love me for it.” Evie answered with a knowing look.

 

Mal couldn’t disagree with that.

 

Instead she grinned at Evie and helped her up, catching everyone else’s attention. Mal and Evie then let their friends hug them and rejoice on their safety.

 

 

//

 

 

Turns out that adventures, like the one they had, were exhausting. The group decided to crash in Uma’s beach house and it brought back memories, to all of them. With everyone inside, deciding who would sleep where, Uma and Mal stood outside, in silence.

 

“Guys!”

 

Their silence was interrupted by Harry who was walking towards them, hand in hand with who Mal recognized as Ben, his current boyfriend. Mal had met him a couple of times and if she had been asked to describe the tad shorter boy, she was compelled to describe him as the human version of a golden retriever, with his golden hair, his warm eyes and his sweet bright smile. Harry’s smile was twice the average size and it was honestly a little blinding but it made Mal’s heart warm.

 

“Hi Mal.” Ben gracefully greeted, having been in the company of the purple haired girl his fair share of times.

 

“Hey Ben.” Mal greeted back.

 

Then Harry turned to Uma.

 

“Uma look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell ye before, but Ben was in town waiting for me and I couldn’t leave him there alone, so I, uh, I picked him up. But we’ll crash somewhere else if yer not ok with it.” Harry explained in a rush making his thick accent jump out even more.

 

Uma took a few seconds to process the information, but if she was hurt, she wouldn’t let it show.

 

“Nah man, it’s ok,” Uma replied. Then she turned to Ben and to Mal’s (and Harry’s mind you) surprise she offered him a smile, one both of them recognized as a genuine one. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben.”

 

Ben flashed her his signature smile.

 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Uma.”

 

Harry, happy with how things turned out then guided Ben inside the house to meet and greet the rest of his friends.

 

Mal glanced at Uma, the girl’s mind clearly elsewhere.

 

“It’s ok, you know?”

 

Uma looked back at Mal.

 

“What?”

 

Mal nudged over to where Harry was, now introducing Ben to Evie and Carlos, his arm around Ben’s waist.

 

“You’re not over him.” Mal stated.

 

“So, what if I’m not?” Uma defensively replied.

 

Mal let out a reassuring laugh.

 

“Relax girl, didn’t you hear what I said?”

 

Uma huffed, crossing her arms.

 

“I think I didn’t realize how much I actually miss him until just a moment ago when he showed up with Ben,” Uma then confessed. “That’s when it hit me that I really messed up, he really moved on and found someone else. And look at him. He’s happy. Happier than he ever was with me. I wanted to hate Ben, but I can’t. Maybe the old me could, but this me can’t. He’s good for Harry. I want him to be happy. But I can’t pretend it doesn’t break my heart.”

 

Mal could see how admitting to something like this made Uma uncomfortable and she could totally relate. Being openly vulnerable wasn’t an easy task.

 

Mal dropped a hand on Uma’s shoulder.

 

“It’s ok,” Mal repeated. “It’s ok to feel like that.”

 

“Easy for you to say. You fucked up big time and you _still_ have the girl.” Uma scoffed.

 

“Uma, I consider myself _lucky_ that she still wants to be with me after all this. And I could never blame her if she didn’t.” Mal countered, not missing a beat.

 

Then she took a deep breath.

 

“I got lucky, but that doesn’t mean I should expect Evie to forgive me every time I do something stupid.”

 

Uma seemed to hang on to Mal’s every word.

 

“Look, I guess what I’m saying is, we all make mistakes. And we have to live with them. Learn from them. And do better. Be better. It hurts right now but it won’t hurt forever. You know better now, I’m sure that you will be just fine.” Mal said, holding a little smile.

 

Uma sighted. The mistakes were made and she couldn’t take it back. But she couldn’t hide a smile of her own, hearing the hopeful note in Mal’s voice.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I guess you’re right. Thanks for the pep talk, bitch.”

 

“You’re welcome, dumbass.” Mal smirked.

 

“Does this make us friends?” Uma then asked, uncertainty in her tone.

 

Mal thought it was about time they started healing as well. Uma was trying and Mal wanted to try as well.

 

“We had a _girl talk_. Fuck yeah it does.” Mal laughed.

 

And Uma laughed along with her.

 

The girls proceeded to walk inside to join their friends. Mal immediately gravitated towards Evie, hugging her from behind, making her giggle and swoon. Uma was pleasantly surprised to see Gil coming to greet her.

 

“Hey.”

 

Gil was smiling.

 

“Hi, Gil.”

 

“Come sit with us.” He invited and pointed to the couch.

 

Carlos was comfortably installed on Jay’s lap and they both smiled at her. Ben and Harry were also sitting, making a few calls to order take out for everyone Harry’s legs lazily resting on Ben’s, one of his arms wrapped around the golden-haired boy. Harry flashed her a smile and Ben made sure she had where to sit.

 

Uma could really cry. Every single person in that room was giving her another chance. She looked over at Mal and Evie, who gave her knowing smiles.

 

Uma smiled, grateful for the chance she was being given. She would do better. She would be better.

 

“Thank you.” She said, finally giving in and joining everyone else on the couch.

 

 

//

 

 

“…Mal, what are we looking at?”

 

“The horizon.”

 

“Is it doing something?”

 

Mal giggled at Evie’s question.

 

Mal had managed to take Evie away from everyone else and they both ended up at the same rock they sat in, back in the beach house days. The rock in a little corner of the beach that Mal had painted for Evie’s birthday.

 

They both sat at the edge of the rock. Evie sat with her legs crossed, facing the horizon while Mal sat next to Evie, facing her, one leg hanging from the rock and the other carefully placed behind Evie’s back so she’d have something to lean on. Mal was distractedly playing with Evie’s fingers.

 

“I just thought you’d find it calming.” Mal explained.

 

Evie smiled, without taking her eyes from the sight in front of her. The sun was setting and they sky had turned into a mix of blue and orange. It was quite the sight.

 

Mal however, paid no mind to the sunset. Mal’s only sight was Evie.

 

“Don’t you feel bad that we ditched them?” Evie wondered.

 

“No.”

 

Evie interrupted her staring at the sky to stare at Mal, with an eyebrow raised.

 

Mal shrugged with a sly smile.

 

“Like this I can have you all to myself. I mean, you’re not dumping me, are you?”

 

It was Evie’s turn to giggle, turning her gaze away from Mal and back to the horizon.

 

“I missed you too, dork.” Evie softly replied, squeezing Mal’s hand reassuringly. Evie wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Mal let her forehead gently rest on Evie’s temple and closed her eyes. They were there. Alive. Safe.

 

Mal wanted to feel Evie’s warm touch. She didn’t want to let her go.

 

And Evie welcomed Mal’s need to touch her. After all that happened, Evie could finally breathe because Mal was right there. Alive. Safe. By her side.

 

It felt good. To just be there. Without a care in the world. They stayed in comfortable silence for a while. They just wanted to be in each other’s presence.

 

“…M?”

 

Mal opened her eyes.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Move in with me.” Evie’s voice came out in a quiet raspy tone.

 

Mal lifted her head, her eyes widen and incredibly green, and her lips partially open.

 

“What?” Mal breathed out.

 

“Move in with me,” Evie repeated with a little hopeful smile blessing her features. “I mean, we’re together. I know we’re still in college but since Lonnie and Jane seem to kind of like each other we could make a little switch, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind and you could come to my apartment because it’s bigger and you’d have all the space for your art projects.” Evie explained in the same quiet voice but at such a fast pace that her Spanish accent jumped out a little, which made Mal giggle under her breath and smirk teasingly at the beauty in front of her.

 

“Are you sure?” Mal then asked, her tone more vulnerable and serious.

 

“Listen…I have a closet full of blue clothes, I feel like I could make some space for some purple leather.” Evie teased back, her smile unwavering.

 

Mal felt like she was falling in love with Evie all over again.

 

“…Well, when you put it like that then I would _love_ to move in with you.” Mal then said, with a sappy grin on her face.

 

The smile that formed on Evie’s lips upon hearing Mal’s answer was quite blinding and honestly, Mal wouldn’t settle for less. She wished for Evie to always smile like that.

 

Then Evie giggled excitedly and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Mal’s lips. Evie felt Mal smiling into the kiss and it warmed her heart in ways that she could never explain.

 

 

//

 

 

The months that followed were all kinds of peaceful.

 

Every single one of Evie’s friends filled her with apologies for keeping Mal’s secret from her, apologies she gladly accepted. Everything went back to the way it was in no time.

 

Well, not exactly as it was. Mal’s magic became way more stable after the whole incident now that Kaida and Mal were getting along but she didn’t stop her magical training. Only this time, Evie was there to help. Jane and her mother also made sure they were present to aid Mal whenever necessary.

 

Practice helped Mal to better communicate with Kaida without having to sink deep into her subconscious or anything other thing that could put Mal in danger so, Kaida became a little more present in Mal’s life and consequently in Evie’s life.

 

Evie didn’t mind though. Kaida (who at some point during their bonding/training sessions had told them that despite being a dragon, she identified as a she) was a breath of fresh air. Whenever Mal and Evie wanted to know more about magical mythology, Kaida was there to tell them the most interesting facts and stories. And Evie could tell that Kaida was a good influence on Mal. And vice-versa.

 

So, not exactly as it was. But better. Mal and Evie were still young and had a lot to learn, but they were at peace with themselves and with each other.

 

That said, they were still young adults going through college. So, they went back to their routines.

 

With the promise that they’d come visit whenever they could, Harry, Ben and Uma returned to their college life while Gil went back to work. Little by little, Uma started to fall into the group activities like movie nights, birthday parties and just plain old hanging out without a purpose.

 

Now that Uma was no longer anyone’s ‘enemy’, Mal tried to give her back the beach house key, but Uma denied, wanting Mal to keep the key as if it was hers.

 

Carlos and Jay were around all the time due to their college’s proximity. And whenever Jay had an important game, everyone would make sure to be there for him, cheering and yell his name from the bleachers. Carlos would even bring Dude, their dog, along dressed in a miniature version of Jay’s outfit (courtesy of Evie Grimhilde herself).

 

Lonnie and Jane were thrilled with the opportunity of sharing an apartment and Mal and Evie were proud that they set them up together because they were getting along very well. They were taking things slow on the romantic department but they would eventually get there.

 

Which had Mal recruiting Jay and Carlos to help her out with moving her stuff to Evie’s apartment. Mal could easily do it herself (with a little help from Kaida) but it would be weird to walk through town with a bunch of boxes levitating. Also, she really enjoyed annoying the boys.

 

Fortunately for them, Mal didn’t have a lot of belongings. Or at least, not heavy ones.

 

Living together was all kinds of amazing.

 

Mal still had her father in mind, but after a talk with Evie on the matter, she decided that she would finish college first. That she would live her life with Evie and her friends first.

 

And maybe one day, with the help that Evie and Kaida promised to give her, maybe she would try to find more about him.

 

Mal was confident they would be able to work anything out from that moment on. Because Mal and Evie were the _greatest team the world has ever seen_.

 

They were happy. And Mal wanted nothing more than to keep this blissful feeling alive and burning.

 

And happy was how they found themselves one cold winter morning, as they woke up together on the bed they shared.

 

Mal wasted no time and gave Evie a good morning kiss, sweet and intense.

 

"Morning, E." Mal greeted after they pulled away. Evie giggled, content to be in bed cuddling with her beautiful girlfriend.

 

Evie watched as Mal looked at her somewhat thoughtful.

 

"What is it, M?" Evie asked.

 

Mal started playing with Evie's hair.

 

"I'm just...so happy. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe." Mal confessed with a sheepish smile.

 

Evie rubbed her thumb softly against Mal's cheek.

 

"Me too. But hey: This is real. We are real. And I'm very happy too Mal." Evie confessed.

 

Mal smiled. She could cry. Her life was so good. She got to wake up to Evie every single morning. They'd work on college projects together inside the apartment they shared. They were madly in love. Mal was swept off her feet every single day.

 

And Evie felt it too. Being with Mal was the best thing happening in her life. She shared an apartment with her best friend, her girlfriend. They'd cuddle while watching movies. They'd cook together when they felt like it. Evie realized she fell in love with Mal every single day.

 

"It's my turn to cook right?" Mal then half asked, half groaned, unhappy that she had to get up at all.

 

Evie didn't get to answer that she'd be happy to do it for Mal just this once but Mal was already on her feet.

 

After a bit, Evie could smell the bacon and the eggs that Mal decided to cook for breakfast and she decided it was time to get out of bed as well.

 

Evie got out of bed and hugged Mal from behind, carefully so she wouldn't make a mess with the eggs.

 

"Something smells good." Evie complimented, whispering in Mal's ear. Evie's voice was all husky from waking up just now and it sent shivers down Mal's spine.

 

"This isn't Master Chef, E. Just some scrambled eggs." Mal laughed.

 

Mal felt Evie's hips pressed against her back. She felt a familiar tingling.

 

".... _Who said anything about eggs_?"

 

Mal almost dropped the pan, the eggs, everything. Mal could literally hear Kaida mockingly laughing at her inside her head. Evie was giggling, as she felt Mal's body temperature raising madly.

 

"You cheeky bastard. Wasn't last night good enough for you?" Mal teased while turning off the stove.

 

Evie hummed, pretending think about it.

 

"It was a solid eight. Maybe an eight point five." Evie then replied, smirking like a fool. Teasing Mal was so very enjoyable and Evie would always savor every last minute of it.

 

"Fuck off, _I am not an eight_." Mal then protested with a huge pout on her face, breaking free from Evie's embrace.

 

Evie watched amusedly with her hands on her hips as Mal placed the scrambled eggs on the table while cursing under her breath.

 

"You're very cute when you pout, did you know that?" Evie teased again.

 

"I'm not pouting." Mal replied, clearly still pouting, making her way to the bed.

 

"Sure you are." Evie then walked over to Mal. Seeing how the purple haired girl was taking the matter a little too seriously, Evie made her sit on the bed and did the same.

 

"C'mon now, don't give me the face." Evie asked with a non-teasing smile. Mal looked at her and for a moment she looked like a child. Evie's heart skipped a beat.

 

"Put the pout away," Evie tried again and Mal only pouted more. "I was kidding, you know that, right?" Evie's smile was still very much there, endeared at the sight in front of her.

 

Then Evie's smile changed.

 

"Because I was totally kidding. You're small but you're pretty fucking unforgettable."

 

Mal perked at that. Evie smiled widely.

 

"You're a solid ten, M. Last night was amazing." Evie admitted, her cheeks slightly red.

 

Mal's smirk was immediate and knowing.

 

"Fuck yeah I am."

 

Evie furrowed her brows.

 

And then:

 

"Did you just manipulate me into admitting you're good in bed?"

 

Mal's smirk doubled in size and her dimples were showing off.

 

" _You little shit_." Evie breathed out, a smile on her face.

 

"Now you know how it feels miss _I-always-get-what-I-want_." Mal shrugged, smirking madly, content that she got Evie to taste a bit of her own medicine.

 

Evie was impressed, truly.

 

"Ok fine, I deserved it," Evie admitted. "But I don't always get what I want."

 

"Don't play dumb with me. E, you're a freaking siren. Harry's dad even placed his head inside his large pitbull's mouth just to make you giggle and you could barely talk then." Mal laughed, easily surprising Evie by knowing that information.

 

"What? I might not have been there, but I know stuff."

 

"You think I'm a siren?" Evie asked, curious.

 

"Damn right you are," Mal smirked. "A ridiculously hot one."

 

Evie then kissed Mal. And it was no ordinary kiss. It was a desperate, burning kiss. They kissed until they had to breathe.

 

"Fuck, that was so hot." Mal said. That was one steamy kiss.

 

"Wow, now who's horny?" Evie teased.

 

"I'm pretty sure it's still you," Mal teased back. "Anyways, I made breakfast and it's getting cold."

 

But Evie's hand was already inside Mal's sweatpants and a wicked smile was already perfectly placed on her lips.

 

Evie was so hot. Mal knew Evie was doing what she did best. Mal was wrapped around Evie's finger and was not about to deny it to her insanely hot girlfriend.

 

" _Fuck the eggs_."

 

Mal pulled Evie into a kiss full of desire and in no time, Evie was undressing Mal, pushing her into the bed and climbing on top of her.

 

Mal always thought that Evie looked the absolute hottest while being all dominant in bed, but she would never admit it out loud.

 

“I’m going to show you a sight you’ve never seen before. So, are you ready Mal?” Evie warned with her best seductive tone.

 

“I was **born ready** Evie.” Mal replied in a challenging tone and was immediately shushed by Evie’s mouth in hers.

 

The eggs were left on the table, cold and forgotten.

 

The rest?

 

**The rest was history.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Remember me?
> 
> Oh my god you guys, I am so sorry I took this goddamn long to come back here but you know how adulting is a scam? Yeah. And with college trying to kill me slowly one day at a time, the time I had to write became less. And sometimes when I do have time, I'm just way too tired to do it. But I am here!
> 
> Good news: Update! Yay! It's not a lenghty chapter, not by any means (I'm sorry again for taking this long to post it, but I wanted to post something I was happy with and it doesn't always mean a big chapter) but it's one that gives closure to all the characters and honestly they've had enough of angst so there aren't any heavy angsty scenes in this. There are....other things kjsdhjkshs
> 
> Bad news: This is the last chapter of this sequel. 
> 
> When I first started writing, hell if I knew that so many people were gonna, you know, like my stuff. So, I want to thank you guys. For all the support, for all the comments, kudos, everything. Even all of you who are a little too shy to come talk to me. I appreciate every single one of you and I feel like I don't say it enough. Also, Big ass thank you to my friends who constantly read my stuff and support the hell out of me (y'all know who you are) in everything I do!
> 
> I know it's not a huge chapter but I am happy with how things turned out and I hope to god you'll like it as well.
> 
> Thank you for coming along for the ride with me! 
> 
> Until the next work!
> 
> All my love :) x
> 
> [If you want, come talk to me on tumblr (@imharryaf) or on twitter (@swanjonhesonice), I swear I'm nice haha]


End file.
